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HISTORY
OF
MIDDLESEX COUNTY
NEW JERSEY
1664=1920
UNDER THE ASSOCIATE EDITORSHIP
OP
JOHN P. WALL AND HAROLD E. PICKERSGILL
\
A88I8TBD BY AN
Able Corps of Local Historians
HI8TORICAL=BIOGRAPHICAL
Volume I
1921
LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC
NEW YORK AND CHICAGO
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THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
5S4f)8A
A?TOT>. LENOX AND
ilLDSN FOUNDATION?
R 1029 L
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FOREWORD
I
T IS now nearly half a century since the publication of
a history of Middlesex, one of the most historic and
progressive counties of New Jersey. The present work
is designed to be at once a well digested resume of its
former history, but more particularly a continuation
down to the present time, and covering a period of phenomenal
development along all the many lines which go to make up the
complex community of to-day.
The value of the work rests in larger degree upon the
intelligent labors of Messrs. John P. Wall and Harold E. Pick-
ersgill, who out of their abundant local knowledge have not
only provided much of the matter assembled upon its pages,
but have otherwise abundantly aided the field editors, Messrs.
Frank R. Holmes and Peter K. Edgar, in pointing out most
useful sources of information. Of especial value are various
historical papers contributed by residents who are recognized
as entire masters of the subjects upon which they treat, and
among whom may be named Mr. H. Brewster Willis, on Pub-
lic Education ; Mr. Adrian Lyon, on the Board of Proprietors ;
President W. H. S. Demarest, on Rutgers College ; Dr. D. C
English, on the Medical Fraternity; Dr. Fred B. Kilmer, on
Christ Church.
The genealogical and personal memoirs have been pre-
pared with all due care from such data as were accessible, and
in each case has been submitted to the immediate subject or to
>0 his proper representative for verification as to fact. It is
c? believed that the work, in all its features, will prove a real
t addition to the mass of annals concerning the people of the
rr historic region under consideration, and that without it, much
valuable information therein contained would be irretrievably
2 lost, owing to the passing away of many custodians of records
o\ and the disappearance of such material.
THE PUBLISHERS.
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CONTENTS
NOTE — ^The History proper is paged continuously, extending into Volume II, and
concluding with Index at page 603. The Biographical Department follows immedi-
ately thereafter in Volume II, and is paged continuously Into Volume III, concluding
with a Biographical Index.
Page
CHAPTER I — ^Thc Leni-Lenapes — Indian rights to the land, and how disposed
of I
CHAPTER II — Occupation by the Dutch — Character of the Immigrants from
Holland 7
CHAPTER III— Coming of the English— Title of the Duke of York and his
land conveyances to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret 11
CHAPTER IV— Settlement of the Raritan Valley— Woodbridge and Piscataway
— Settlers at New Brunswick and Perth Amboy *. 19
CHAPTER V— The East Jersey Proprietors— Acts passed by the General
Assembly 27
CHAPTER VI — ^The Proprietary and Colonial Governors — Franklin the last 39
CHAPTER VII — Organization of Middlesex County — Changes of Boundaries 49 ^
CHAPTER VIII— East and West Jersey- The final division 57
CHAPTER IX — The early Courts — Crimes and Misdemeanors 63
CHAPTER X--Study of the Soil— Mineral products 69
CHAPTER XI— Transportation— The Indian trails— First roads and ferries-
Water transportation — Stage wagons — Steamboats and railroads TS
CHAPTER XII — Revolutionary days — Home life of the people — The dawn of
the Revolution — Occupation by British troops 81
CHAPTER XIII — Middlesex men in the Revolutionary War — Notable names
— Roster of State troops 97
CHAPTER XIV— After the War— Organization of State government 113
CHAPTER XV— First half of the Nineteenth Century— Political contests 117
CHAPTER XVI— War between the States— Middlesex men bear a splendid
part 129
CHAPTER XVII— Finale-^The Spanish- American War— The political land-
slide of 1920 165
CHAPTER XVIII— Visitors, Natives and Residents— Washington and Lafay-
ette — Other notables 171
CHAPTER XIX— Institutions of higher education— Rutgers College— Theo-
logical Seminary of the Reformed Church— Academies and Private Schools. 185
CHAPTER XX— Public Education— Thirty-three years' growth of Public
Schools 203
CHAPTER XXI— The Press— First newspapers— Later journals 229
CHAPTER XXII — Bench and Bar — Early lawyers and jurists — Notable trials 233
CHAPTER XXIII— The Medical Fraternity— Pioneer physicians— First Medi-
cal Society— Various professional bodies — Founders of County and State
Medical Societies — Prominent Deceased Physicians — Hospitals and Clinics . . 243
CHAPTER XXIV— (Manufacturing Industries— At Perth Amboy and New
Brunswick 271
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MIDDLESEX
Past
CHAPTER XXV— City of New Brunswick— Settlement— During the Revolu-
tion — Early Industries and Merchants — Development of City to its present
proportions 279
CHAPTER XXVI— City of New Brunswick, concluded— Notable Characters. . . 347
CHAPTER XXVII— Perth Amboy— Settlement— Old Buildings—In the Revo-
lution — The City of to-day 361
CHAPTER XXVIII— City of South Amboy 397
CHAPTER XXIX— Woodbridge and Piscataway Townships 401
CHAPTER XXX— North Brunswick, East Brunswick and South Brunswick
Townships 423
CHAPTER XXXI — Monroe, Madison, Raritan and Cranbury Townships 437
CHAPTER XXXII— Boroughs of Middlesex County 455
APPENDIX— Military Rolls 483
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PUBLIC LIolv
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^X
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LANDING OF CAIlTKIiKT.
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CHAPTER I.
THE LENI-LENAPBS.
When Henry Hudson, in the employ of the Dutch East India Com-
pany, sailed up the broad waters of what was then known as the Great
North River, now named for its discoverer, he found on its banks
Aborigines occupants. They were members of the Algonquin family,
and by writers on Indian antiquities have been considered as branches
of the general Delaware nation known as the Leni-Lenapes, which in
the Red Men's language means "original people," a title they had adopted
under the claim that they were descended from the most ancient of
Inxiian ancestry. This claim was admitted by other tribal organizations,
who accorded to the Leni-Lenapes the title of "grandfather," or a people
whose ancestry antedated their own.
Among the numerous traditions, the leading one of their origin was
that their ancestors lived in a country far to the westward of the rising
sun, and in the hopes of finding a red man's paradise, land of deer and
beaver and salmon, they left their western home and journeying across
great rivers and mountains, at last came to the western banks of the
Namisi Sipu (Mississippi), where they met another nation migrat-
ing like thethselves. This adversary for a settlement in the east was
the Mengwes, and for centuries these two aborigfinal nations became
rivals and enemies. Their explorations, however, were to receive a
check, for beyond the great river lay the domain of a nation named
Allegewi, who disputed their passage. This opposing nation, while not
strong in numbers, was skilled in the arts of war and had reared gjeat
defenses of earth enclosing their village and strongholds. An alliance,
offensive and defensive, was formed by the Lenapes and Mengwes, and
after a severe struggle for supremacy the Allegewis were humiliated and
exterminated and their country occupied by the victors.
The two victorious nations then journeyed eastward. The Mengwes
taking a northern route, finally reached the Mahicannick, "River of the
Mountains" (Hudson river), while the Lenapes, traveling more in a
southerly direction, rested on the banks of the Lenapi Wihittuck, the
beautiful river, now known as the Delaware, and here they thought
they had found their long-wished-for elysium of an Indian paradise for
which they had left their far western home. This tradition may have
some truthful foundation ; the unfortunate Allegewis may have been the
mound builders of the Mississippi Valley, but this is only one of the
many profitless conjectures which have been indulged in by historical
researchers. Indian tribes were fond of narrating long journeys and
great deeds of their ancestors, tracing their ancestors for centuries, but
MSd-l
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2 MIDDLESEX
their traditions are so clouded and involved in improbabilities and inter-
woven with superstition that it is simply speculative on the part of
antiquarian writers to form a decided opinion of the origin of the Amer-
ican aborigines.
On the arrival of the emigrants from Netherlands at the Isle of Man-
hattan, they found dwelling there the fierce Manhattans whom De Laet
calls "a wicked nation and enemies of the Dutch." In the adjacent
territory the Minsie and Mohican nations were located. The Manhattans,
who were members of the Mohican nation, occupied the range of country
on the east side of the Hudson river to its mouth. On Long Island,
called by the natives Sewanhacky, "the land of shells," were the savage
Metonwacks, divided into tribes of which names of thirteen have been
preserved; the Canaise and Nyack were settled at the Narrows; the
Mantinecoes in Queens county ; and the Nissaquage, Setauket, Corchaug,
Secataug, Patachogue, Shinnecoe and Montauk, in Suffolk county.
The Minsies, who received Hudson with peaceful overtures and came
daily on board his vessel to barter furs, oysters, Indian com, beans,
pumpkins, squashes and apples, in exchange for gewgaws and trifles,
inhabited the country from the Minisink (a place named after them,
where they had their council seat and fire), to Staten Island, and from
the Hudson to the Raritan Valley. They were members of the Leni-
Lenape, or Delaware nation, which occupied a domain extending along
the seacoast from Chesapeake Bay to the country bordering Long Island
Sound. Back from the east it reached beyond the Susquehanna Valley
to the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, and on the north joined
the southern frontier of the hated and dreaded Iroquois. In this vast
domain was included all of the present State of New Jersey.
The principal tribes of the Delawares were the Unamis or Turtle,
Unalachtgo or Turkey, and Minsi or Wolf. The latter was the most
powerful and warlike of these tribes, and occupied the most northerly
portion of the Delaware's country, keeping guard along the Iroquois
border; their territory extended southward to the northern boundary
of the present county of Hunterdon. The Unamis and Unalachtgo
branches comprising the Assanpinks, Matas, Schackamaxons, Chiche-
quaas, Raritans, Nanticokes, Tatelos, and many others, inhabited all
that part of New Jersey south of the northern boundaries of the present
Hunterdon and Somerset counties. Statisticians have computed that the
Indian population at the time of the settlement of the Dutch at New
Amsterdam was probably not more than two thousand souls in the
territory comprising the present State of New Jersey.
Before the arrival of the European explorers, the country of the
Leni-Lenape had been invaded by the Iroquois, who had reduced the
former nation to the condition of vassals. The Iroquois attitude, how-
ever, was not wholly of conquerors, it was more of the character of
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THE LENI-LENAPES 3
protectors or masters. Their overlordship was tempered with paternal
regard for the interests of the Leni-Lenapes in their negotiations with
the whites, care being taken that no trespasses should be committed on
their rights and that they should be justly dealt with. This anxious
solicitude on the part of the Iroquois was simply to see that no others
than themselves should be permitted to despoil the Lenapes. They
exacted from them an annual tribute, an acknowledgment of their state
of vassalage, and on these conditions they were permitted to occupy their
former hunting grounds. Bands of the Five Nations were interspersed
among the Delawares to keep a watchful eye upon them and their move-
ments.
The Delawares regarded their conquerors with feelings of inextin-
guishable hatred, though held in abeyance by fear. They had, however,
a feeling of superiority on account of their ancient lineage and their
removal from original barbarism. The Iroquois maintained an air of
haughty superiority towards their vassals, and no longer spoke of them
as men and warriors, but as wotnen. This opprobrium was removed
from the Delawares by the Iroquois through the exertionir of their most
noted chief, Teedyuscung, who by his masterly oratory and diplomatic
shrewdness defeated the schemes of the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania
in their attempts to defraud the Delawares of their rights in that province.
The Indians were tenacious of the common right in which they
claimed the ownership of the soil. They did not recognize even in their
chiefs any right to convey lands without the general consent of the tribe,
and often refused to submit to treaties unless they were njade by their
representatives chosen by popular vote, who met the whites in council
and for their respective tribes ratified the deeds disposing oi their lands.
The New Jersey settlers at all times were conciliatory of their rights,
dealing with them in a justifiable and legal way, hence there was no
occasion for hostilities on the part of the Indians. The white settlers
of New Jersey, however, suffered on account of the outrageous manage-
ment of Indian affairs by the Dutch authorities at New Amsterdam.
The Mohawks in 1643 were at war with the Weekquacsgecks, Tanki-
tekes, and Tappeans. Director Kieft espoused the cause of the Mohawks,
and on the night of February 23, 1643, he dispatched a force of eighty men
to attack the Hackensacks, who were bivouacked one thousand strong
at Pavonia, New Jersey. The unsuspecting Indians, unaware of the
Director's secret league with their enemy, were suddenly aroused from
their sleep by a murderous attack by the Dutch soldiers, who spared
neither babies nor women in their inhuman massacre. This kind of war-
fare could not fail to exasperate the natives, and in retaliation seven
tribes entered into an alliance for a relentless war. They killed all the
men they could find, dragged the women and children into captivity,
burned houses, bams, grain and haystacks, and laid waste the farms and
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4 MIDDLESEX
plantations. From the Raritan to the Connecticut not a white person
was safe from the murderous tomahawk and scalping knife, except those
that clustered around Fort Amsterdam. The war continued in all its
fury for several months, when a peace was concluded which lasted only
until October, 1643, when the Indians again went on the warpath and
peace was not permanently secured until 1645.
There were no further Indian troubles of any magnitude until 1655,
when during an absence of Governor Stuyvesant to expel the
Swedes from Delaware, five hundred warriors on the night of September
15 landed at New Amsterdam. They were repulsed by the
garrison and driven to their canoes. In retaliation they landed at
Pavonia, which they laid in ashes. From thence they passed
down Staten Island, where one hundred persons were killed, one
hundred and fifty carried into captivity, and over three hundred
deprived of their homes. The savages of the tribes of Hackensack,
Tappaen, Ahasimus and others, were present and took part in this fearful
devastation, and perpetrated inhuman barbarities, notwithstanding their
solemn pledge to adhere to the terms of the treaty. Governor Stuyvesant
made a treaty with the Indians which proved a final settlement of all
difficulties as far as the Dutch were concerned. During these Indian
troubles the inhabitants of the ancient territory of Bergen county were
the greatest sufferers.
The Pomptons and Mennes having sold their lands, removed from
New Jersey about 1737. They became engaged in the Indian war of
1755 in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, which was carried across
the Delaware river 'into New Jersey. The Indians raided the settlers on
the east bank of the Delaware in the winter of 1757-58, and twenty-seven
murders were committed by them in Sussex county. Governor Bernard
in June, 1758, took measures to put a stop to this hideous warfare;
through Teedyuscung, king of the Delawares, he obtained a conference
with the Minisink and Pompton Indians on August 7, 1758, at Burlington,
New Jersey. This resulted in a time being fixed for a conference at Eas-
ton, Pennsylvania, and a treaty was finally signed, the Indians relin-
quishing all their claims to lands in New Jersey, reserving the right to
fish in all the rivers and bays south of the Raritan and to hunt in all unen-
closed lands. A tract of land comprising three thousand acres was pur-
chased in Burlington county by the province, and on this the few remain-
ing Delawares of New Jersey, about sixty in number, were collected and
settled. They remained there until 1802, when they joined their grand-
sons, the Stockbridge tribe, at New Stockbridge, near Oneida Lake, in
the State of New York. Several years after, they again removed and
settled on a large tract of land at Fox River, Wisconsin, which had
been purchased from the Menominee Indians. Here they engaged in
conjunction with the Stockbridge Indians in agricultural pursuits and
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THE LENI-LENAPES 5
formed a settlement named Statsburg. There were alive in 1832 at this
settlement about forty of the Delawares, who still kept alive the tradi-
tion that they were owners of fishing and hunting privileges in New
Jersey. They resolved to lay their claim before the legislature of the
State, requesting that $2,000 be paid them for the relinquishing of their
rights. The Legislature referred the petition to a committee who reported
favorably upon the request, whereupon the Legislature voted the amount
asked for, in consideration of their relinquishment of their last rights and
claims in the State of New Jersey.
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CHAPTER 11.
EARLY OCCUPATION OF THE PROVINCE BY THE DUTCH.
The Dutch East India Company of the United Netherlands, who
employed Hudson on his voyage of discovery, combined military with
commercial operations, and was divided into five chambers established
in five of the principal Dutch cities. Its attention was devoted more
especially to making reprisals on Spanish commerce, purchasing slaves,
the conquest of Brazil, etc. New Netherland was committed to the
charge of the Amsterdam chamber.
Five years after Hudson's voyage, a company of merchants under
the title of the United Company of New Netherland, procured from the
States-General of Holland a patent for the exclusive trade on the Hudson
river. They established a trading post at New Amsterdam, on the
present site of the Battery. A small redoubt on the site of what is now
a part of the city of Kingston, New York, was also built ; it was known
as the Ronduit, from whence comes the name of Rondout. In the upper
valley of the Hudson a fort was erected upon Castle Island, near and
below the present city of Albany. One of their navigators, Adriaen
Block, extended the sphere of discovery by the way of the East river,
tracing the shores of Long Island and Connecticut as far as Cape Cod.
He sailed up the Connecticut, named by him the Fresh river, and built
a trading post to which he gave the name of "The House of Good Hope,"
on the present site of the city of Hartford. It was more than probable
as early as 1618 that another trading post was erected in the territory
now comprising the State of New Jersey, which the Dutch called Achter
KuU (or Kill); the spelling of the second name of this title by some
historians is Coll,
The Dutch also claimed as a part of New Netherland by right of dis-
covery, the territory adjacent to the Delaware river, which they named
the South river. This claim was based on Hudson having sailed a short
distance up the waters of that river prior to his entering New York Bay.
As early as 1623 a ship under the command of Cornelius Jacobse May
was dispatched to take possession of this territory and effect a settle-
ment. May entered the Delaware Bay and gave his name to the northern
cape — Cape May. After exploring the river he landed and erected a
fort which he named Fort Nassau, situated on the banks of a small
stream called by the Indians Sassacknow, below the present city of
Camden, New Jersey.
The States-General, on the expiration of the grant of the United
Company of New Netherland, refused to renew it, but they continued
to trade in the territory until 1623, when the Dutch West India Company,
a powerful mercantile association, chartered in 1621, took possession of
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8 MIDDLESEX
the lands temporarily granted to their predecessors. The following year
Peter Minuit was appointed director of New Netherland ; he built Fort
Amsterdam, and brought over new colonists who settled on Long Island.
Stateh Island and Manhattan were purchased from the Indians, but the
settlements for the next five years were merely trading posts.
It was in 1629 or 1630 that the council of the Dutch West India
Company adopted plans for a more extensive colonization of New Neth-
erland. They granted to certain individuals extensive seigniories or
tracts of land, with federal rights over the lives and persons of their
subjects. These tracts of land were granted, provided that a settlement
should be effected within a specified time, besides other conditions.
Under these provinces Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, a pearl merchant of
Amsterdam, secured in 1630 and subsequently, a tract of land twenty-four
by forty-eight miles in extent, comprising the present counties of Albany,
Rensselaer and part of Columbia. Other wealthy patroons obtained
larger grants for similar seigniories in other portions of New Netherland.
The first Indian deed to territory along the west side of New York
Bay and the Hudson river is dated July 12, 1630. It was for a purchase
made by the Director-General and Council of New Netherland for
Michael Pauw, Burgomaster of Amsterdam and Lord of Achtrenhoven,
near Utrecht, Holland. The burgomaster also in the same year obtained
a deed for Staten Island. The purchase on the Jersey shore of the Hud-
son was named Pavonia. The colony established by Pauw was not a
success, and his interests were purchased by the directors of the West
India Company, and it became known as the West India Company's
Farms.
David Pieterson de Vries, who had made two unsuccessful attempts
to establish Dutch settlements on the shores of the Delaware in 1640,
turned his attention to New Netherland. He purchased in that year of
the Indians a tract of about five hundred acres at Tappan, on the Ackter
Kull shore of the Hudson, and g^ye it the name of Vriesendall. Located
along the riverside, sheltered by high hills, with a stream to supply mill
sites winding its course through its center, it had all the charms of nature,
and with the erection of buildings became an ideal home, where the
energetic owner lived for several years. Settlements were also made at
Communapaw, Hoboken, Ahasamus, Paulus Hoeck, and throughout
the territory were individual settlements, many of which were, however,
destroyed in the Indian War of 1644.
The policy of the Dutch government was to encourage the settlement
of colonies or manors similar to lordships and seigniories of the Old
World, by men of large fortunes, known as patroons, to whom peculiar
privileges of trade and government were accorded. These tracts were
sixteen miles in extent along the seashore or banks of some navigable
river, or eight miles when both banks were occupied with an indefinite
extent inland, the company, however, reserving the island of Manhattan
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OCCUPATION BY THE DUTCH 9
and the fur trade with the Indians. These patroons were within four
years from the granting of the tract to settle them with fifty persons
upwards of fifteen years of age, and upon all trade carried on by them
were to pay five per cent, to the company. They were also to extinguish
the Indian titles to the land; their tenants were not to acquire a free
tenure to the lands, and were prohibited from making any woolen, linen
or cotton cloth or to weave any other material, under a penalty of ban-
ishment This restriction was to keep them dependent on the mother
country for the most necessary manufactures, which was in spirit with
the colonial system adopted by all the nations of Europe. This scheme
of colonization met with favor, and several members of the Dutch West
India Company selected and purchased the most desirable tracts both
on the North and South rivers, as well as the whole neck opposite New
Amsterdam as far as the Kills and Newark Bay, together with Staten
Island.
Directly west of these tracts stretched for miles along the waters
of Achter Kull and to the estuary west of Staten Island, one of the most
inviting regions in New Netherland. To these lands, in 1651, Cornelius
Van Wcrckhoven, one of the schepens of Utrecht in Holland, directed
his attention. He duly notified the Amsterdam chamber of his intention
to plant colonies or manors in New Netherland. A commission was
thereupon given to Augustine Heermans, who resided in New Amster-
dam, to open negotiations with the Indians to purchase these lands.
After negotiations with the resident proprietors, Heermans purchased
for Van Werckhoven the tract extending from the mouth of the Raritan
creek westerly to a creek known by the name of Mankackkewacky,
running in a northwest direction, and then from the Raritan creek north-
erly along the river into the creek, namely, from Raritan Point, called
Ompage, now the city of Perth Amboy, and following the line of a creek
named Pechelesse to its head, where it met the Mankackkewacky before
named. The land thus described included the region west of Staten
Island from the Raritan to the Passaic rivers, and extended back into
the country indefinitely. Three other tracts, one to the south of the
Raritan and two on Long Island, were acquired by this enterprising
Dutchman. This wholesale grab of territory aroused objections on the
part of other greedy speculators, who contended it was too much terri-
tory in the hands of one owner, and on its being referred to the Amster-
dam chamber it was decided that Van Werckhoven could retain but one
of the tracts in question, and he chose to locate himself on Long Island,
and the title to the land described above reverted therefore to the original
owners.
Thus was the colonization of New Jersey again deferred ; the ravages
of the Indians also was a check to making any permanent settlement.
Treaties, however, were consummated with them and the territory
repurchased by Governor Stuyvesant, with the intention of erecting* a
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10 MIDDLESEX
fortified town. There had, however, been no village located prior to
1660, but in the month of August of that year the right to establish a
village in Achter KuU was granted to several inhabitants. It was named
Bergen, from a small village in Holland. The village, located on a hill,
now known as Jersey City Heights, grew rapidly, and in May, 1761, there
was not a vacant lot inside of the fortifications. This was the first per*
manent settlement on the soil of New Jersey.
At the time of dismemberment of New Netherland by the English, in
what was known afterwards as West Jersey, in the present counties of
Gloucester and Burlington, there were a few Swedish farmers and not
to exceed three Dutch families established at Burlington; it contained
not even a hamlet. In East Jersey, whose hills had been praised by
Verrazzani and the soil trodden by the mariners of Hudson, there were
in its trackless and forest depths extending from the seacoast to the
waters of the Raritan and Delaware outside of the settlement at Bergen^
savages who roamed at will, undisturbed by the white man.
^he emigrants from Holland were of various lineage, for that country
haoiong been the gathering place of the unfortunate. Refugees from
persecution flocked to* her. boundaries, from England and continental
Europe^She housed from the heart of\^ohemia\hose who were swayed
by the voice of Huss, theV^paratists from England, the Huguenots
from Fr^ce, the Protestants from the Reformation, the Walloons from
Belgium^all came to her hospitacble soil, and from there emigrated to
the New Eldorado in the Western Continent. These early Dutch set-
tlers were generally persons of deep religious feeling, honest and consci-
entious, adding to these qualities industry and frugality, and the majority
were prosperous. Their buildings followed the Holland style of archi-
tecture, being one story, with a low ceiling, with nothing more than the
heavy and thick boards that constructed the upper floor laid on mon*
strous broad and heavy beams ; this portion of their dwelling they utilized
to store their grain, and for spinning of wool, sometimes being divided
into sleeping apartments. \The fireplaces in these abodes were unusually
large, sufficient to accommodate the whole family with a comfortable
seat around the fire. The buildings were built large enough to admit
of hanging within them meat to smoke. The settlers were reluctant to
form acquaintance with strangers, lest they should be imposed upon, but
when a friendship was formed it proved lasting. They were clannish
in their relations to each other ; when one of the community was wrongly
involved or in trouble, especially in litigation, they were as one man.
At the time of the subjection of New Netherland by the English, the
colonists were satisfied ; very few embarked for Holland ; it seemed rather
that English liberties were to be added to security of property. The
capitulation of the Dutch and Swedes early in October, 1664, placed the
Atlantic seacoast of the thirteen original colonies in possession of Eng-
land. The country had become a geographical unity.
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^'■•:/..i: Library
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DUKE OF YORK AND ALBANY
Afterward James II., King of England
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CHAPTER III.
COMING OP THE ENGLISH.
The English claim to the territory occupied by the Dutch had never
been relinquished, and in 1664 Charles II. determined to remove from the
heart of his American colonies the Dutch supremacy. The Duke of York
had purchased in March, 1664, the claims of Lord Stirling under grants
which he had received from the extinct council of New England, and had
received from the King, his brother, a charter for the valuable tract
between the Connecticut and Delaware rivers, which was New Nether-
land's territorial limits. New York was the name bestowed on this
province. Energetic measures were promptly taken for the seizure of
New Netherland. three ships being dispatched with six hundred soldiers,
having on board Colonel Richard NicoUs, Colonel George Carteret, Sir
Robert Carr and Samuel Maverick, as commissioners. On Friday, August
19th, the fleet cast anchor in the outer bay of New Amsterdam. The sur-
render of Manhattan was demanded the following day, but Stuyvesant
retorted by a spirited protest, doubting if His Majesty of Great Britain
was well informed, and asking if in time of peace it was judicious to
demand a capitulation that would offend Holland. His argument Or
threats produced no effect upon the English commander, who refused to
protract negotiations and threatened an immediate attack. Mortifying as
it was for the doughty old soldier to surrender without a struggle, Stuy-
vesant was compelled to submit to circumstances; the majority of the
inhabitants were unwilling to run the risk of an assault to which they
could not hope to offer any effectual resistance in defense of a govern-
ment with which they were discontented, and against another which
many among them were secretly disposed to welcome. A liberal capitu-
lation was arranged, and upon Monday, August 29th, the Dutch authori-
ties surrendered the town and fort to the English, who immediately took
possession. Colonel Nicolls was proclaimed deputy governor, and the
people quietly submitted to the sway of the conquerors.
The Duke of York conveyed the country between the Hudson and
Delaware rivers to John Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. As the
extensive tract was thinly inhabited, the proprietaries offered favorable
propositions to settlers. Absolute freedom of worship, and a Colonial
Assembly, having sole power of taxation and a share of the legislation of
the province, were among the principal inducements. The new grant
was named Nova Caesarea, or New Jersey, from the island home of Sir
George Carteret ; the first name, however, was finally dropped, as it was
not popular with the settlers.
The two proprietors were ardent sympathizers of the royal cause,
and had been in the service of Charles I. Berkeley was the youngest
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son of Sir Maurice Berkeley and joined the royal army in operations
against the Scots in 1638. In the Parliamentary war he was commissary-
general for the King, governor of Exeter, and general of the forces in
Devon. After the death of the King he went abroad with the royal
family, and was made governor of the Duke of York's household. Hav-
ing been created Baron Berkeley of Stratton at the time of the Restora-
tion, he became a member of the Privy Council. Carteret was a son of
Heller Carteret, deputy governor of the Isle of Jersey. The family was
of French extraction, descended from the Lords of Carteret in the Duchy
of Normandy, and had been connected with English history since the
time of William the Conqueror. George Carteret entered the royal navy
at an early age and for great services rendered the King he was knighted.
At the time of the Civil War he withdrew to his home in Jersey, which
he bravely defended as the last stronghold of the monarchy, and it became
an asylum for the Prince of Wales and others of the royal party. He
followed Charles II. to France and at the instigation of Cromwell was
imprisoned in the Bastile and subsequently banished from the kingdom.
Charles II. being in Brussels in 1659, he repaired thence and was one of
his escort when the King was received by the city of London the follow-
ing year. Sir George after the Restoration was appointed vice-chamber-
lain and treasurer of the navy ; also a member of the Privy Council, and
represented Portsmouth in Parliament.
The trials through which these two lords had passed during the Civil
War had brought them into intimate familiarity with the royal brothers
and gave them great influence at court, lucrative offices were provided
for them, and opportunities given them to promote their wealth and
aggrandizement. The gifted Winthrop, who visited England after the
Restoration to procure a new charter for Connecticut, by his representa-
tions of the colonies had unwittingly excited the greed of the corrupt
and wily parasites of the royal court.
Berkeley and Carteret having received information of the territory
west of the Hudson river, became eager to secure an investment in west-
ern lands. The Duke of York having by his patent the right of sale as
well as that of possession and rule, on June 24, 1664, conveyed to them
for a competent sum of money the territory now known as New Jersey,
which was then considered the most valuable of the Duke's territory.
The concessions and agreements of the Lord Proprietors of New Jersey
having been completed and signed Feb. 10, 1665, Captain Philip Carteret,
a distant relative of Sir George, was commissioned governor of the new
province. Robert Vauquelin (Sieur des Prairie) of the city of Caen in
France, was appointed surveyor-general.
Philip Carteret was born on the Isle of Jersey in 1639. He was the
eldest son of Helier de Carteret, attorney-general of Jersey, and Rachel,
his wife ; and a grandson of Peter De Carteret, jurat of the Royal Court
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COMING OF THE ENGLISH 13
of Jersey. By inheritance he was Seigneur of the Manor of La Huigue,
Parish of Saint Peter, Jersey, but these honors did not prevent him
leaving his native land to assume the government of a province in the
New World. His early training on the Isle of Jersey, which retained the
spirit of feudalism longer than more travelled parts, hardly fitted him
to govern a people in whom the seeds of liberty and self-government
seemed already sown.
^The people of New England had viewed with longing eyes the lands
located about the Achter Kull and on the Raritan. They had crossed
the Sound from the colony of New Haven, invading Long Island, where
they could scarcely gain a subsistence on its poor and barren soil, and
were desirous of locating on the more fertile lands.^They may have
been, however, actuated by political reasons ; the people of New England
under the Protectorate had enjoyed the utmost freedom in the admin-
istration of civil affairs, and it was natural that on the restoration of
Charles II. they should feel some misgivings as to the security of their
rights and liberties. The colonists of New Haven were strongly embued
with republican sentiments, and it was with the greatest reluctance that
they consented to proclaim the new monarch and to congratulate him on
his accession to the throne.
The thoughts of the people of Connecticut at this time turned to the
more liberal government of New Netherland, and negotiations were
entered into with Governor Stuyvesant by those who had settled on
Long Island, for lands at Achter Kull on Newark Bay. The first of those
applicants was John Strickland, a resident of Huntington, Long Island,
in behalf of himself and other New England people. This application
was received by the Director-Genefal at an opportune time, as the Dutch
rulers had decided upon the policy of inviting republicans disaffected on
account of the restoration of the English monarchy, to settle in their
dominions, where they could enjoy civil and religious freedom. The
Dutch West India Company had also adopted a charter of "Conditions
and Privileges" of a very liberal character. Mr. Strickland, therefore,
received a favorable answer to his application, but no settlement was
effected.
The people of New Haven Colony were also further disturbed by the
action of the General Court of Connecticut, which sent its governor,
John Winthrop, to England to procure a charter for the colony to em-
brace the territory "eastward from the line of Plymouth colony, north-
ward to the limits of Massachusetts colony, and westward to the Bay of
Delaware, and also the islands contiguous." It was not strange that the
liberal proposals of the Dutch government should meet with favorable
reception in the towns of the New Haven Colony. A deputation was sent
to New Amsterdam to make further inquiry and ascertain the character
of the lands to be settled. This deputation was courteously entertained
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14 MIDDLESEX
by the governor and council, and made so favorable a report that a
second deputation visited New Amsterdam, with power to negotiate with
Governor Stuyvesant for the settlement of a plantation near the Raritan
river.
This attempt to effect a settlement failed on account of one condition
which the Director-General and the Council of New Amsterdam were
unwilling to concede. The New Haven people wanted absolutely an
independent community with all the rights of self-government. They
were to gather a church in the congregational way ; the right of calling a
Synod by the English churches that might be gathered in New Nether-
land for regulation of their ecclesiastical affairs ; the right to administer
justice in civil matters within themselves by magistrates of their own
selection, without appeal to other authorities; the purchase of the
lands by the Dutch government from the natives and a full conveyance
thereof to the associates forever; none to be allowed to settle among
them except by their own consent ; the right to collect debts — ^and a written
charter stipulating these rights in full. All these conditions were freely
granted except the concession of self-government without appeal, which
would give the proposed colony greater liberty than was enjoyed by the
other towns and settlements of New Netherland. The delegation insist-
ing upon the fullest concession of popular rights, the conference was
broken oflf. Although the negotiations were renewed at subsequent
times, no satisfactory results were atjfved at during the continuance of
the jurisdiction of the Dutch. ' Later ,^ 1663, occurred the revolt against
the Dutch government by the English people of Long Island, who placed
themselves under the jurisdiction of Connecticut. An attempt made by a
party of twenty Englishmen from Long Island to land at the mouth of
the Raritan river with the intention of purchasing a plantation from the
Indians, was frustra^d by an armed party sent for that purpose by
Governor Stuyvesant. >
Immediately upon «the assumption of the government by Colonel
NicoUs, the attention of those settlers who several years before sought
removal to Achter Kull, was directed again to this inviting region. An
association was formed, and several of their number were dispatched to
New York to secure from the governor liberty to purchase and settle a
plantation. Four weeks after the surrender of New Amsterdam, Gov-
ernor Nicolls granted the petitioi^of John Bailies, Daniel Denton,
Thomas Benydick, Nathaniel Denton, John Foster and Luke Watson,
for the settlement of a plantation of New Jersey. A tract of land was
purchased of the Indians; in a deed given by them the names of John
Bayley, Daniel Denton and Luke Watson appear, while in the official
confirmation given by Governor Nicolls the names of John Ogden of
Northampton and Captain John Baker of New York are added. The
tract is described as bounded "on the south by the Raritan river, east
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COMING OF THE ENGLISH 15
to the sea which divides Staten Island from the main land, to run north-
wards up the bay until you come to the first river, and to run westward
twice the length of the breadth of the tract from north to south." This
tract contained 500,000 acres upland and meadows, in fair proportions,
well watered, diversified with level plains and ranges of hill of consider-
able elevation, the soil of the uplands being mostly of clay loam and
shale susceptible of a high state of cultivation. It extended from the
mouth of the Raritan on the south to the mouth of the Passaic on the
north, a distance of seventeen miles, and running back into the countrj'
thirty-four miles, embracing the towns of Woodbridge, Piscataway,
Union county, parts of the towns of Newark and Clinton, a small part
o^Morris county, and a considerable portion of Somerset county.
^Having secured absolute proprietorship, measures were taken for a
speedy and effective occupation of the domain. The precise date when
the settlement of what v(^s to become Elizabethtown, was actually com-
menced is not known.^When, on July 29, 1665, Governor Carteret
arrived on the good ship "Philip" at New York, with a party of thirty
settlers, including eighteen male servants, a number of whom were
French, he allowed but a few days to elapse before taking possession of
the new province. Arriving at the Point, the entrance of the creek,
where the Connecticut settlers had laid out their town, he was met by
the settlers gathered about the landing to receive the newcomers. Gov-
ernor Carteret submitted his credentials to Ogden and his townsmen.
The enterprising settlers had unwittingly prepared a capital for the new
governor in the primitive wilderness, and made a promising beginning
in the way of improvements.
The settlers of the first two or three years were mainly of one class
and of the same origin, almost wholly New Englanders from Long
Island and Connecticut. Very few of the planters for the first five years
came over directly from the Mother Country. Governor Carteret, anx-
ious for the growth of the new province, confirmed the grants of Gov-
ernor NicoUs ; although they were repudiated by the Duke of York, he
was lenient in forcing the terms of the concessions, and allowed the
Hempstead Code of Laws to stand. He purchased a lot from one of
the associates and established a residence, and, with a hoe carried on
his shoulder, thereby intimated his intention to become a planter. He
sent word far and wide through the colonies that New Jersey was open
for settlement under the protection of a governor. Two years passed,
the province commenced to grow, ships came and went, bringing settlers
and merchandise ; the Puritans of Connecticut obtained a grant on the
Passaic river. In April, 1668, the governor issued his first call for a
General Assembly to meet at Elizabethtown, May 25, 1668. It was
in session five days, and enacted the Elizabethtown Code of Laws. This
code differed but slightly from the Hempstead Code of Laws formulated
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i6 MIDDLESEX
in 1664 at Hempstead, Long Island. Differences, however, arose between
the governor and delegates ; the former dissolved the Assembly, and for
two years refused to call another, carrying on the government with the
aid of his council.
In the meantime the Lord Proprietors were involved in financial
troubles in England; Berkeley had been detected in the basest corrup-
tion and had been deprived of office; Carteret was accused of being a
defaulter of the funds of the navy. These circumstances led to a renewal
of a scheme to annex New Jersey to the province of New York, in
which Colonel Nicolls had always been interested. Measures were
accordingly taken by the Duke of York to further this scheme, which
was nearly consummated, but by some turn of the political wheels, the
two proprietors regained royal favors, received appointments in Ireland,
retained possession of their charter, and EHzabethtown remained the
seat of government, the residence of the governor and his officials.
Between the governor and the popular branch of the government
had grown up an irreconcilable difference. The Assembly, though the
governor refused to convene it, met in 1670, again March 26, 1671,
adjourning to May 14, 1671. It was then called the Assembly, or the
House of Burgesses, and depujies were present from EHzabethtown,
Newark, Bergen, Woodbridge and Piscataway. The governor refusing
to preside over the Assembly either in person or by deputy, the members
appointed Captain James Carteret, a son of Sir George, who was then
residing in EHzabethtown, presiding officer. The occasion of Captain
Carteret being in EHzabethtown was that he was on his way to North
Carolina to take possession of his newly acquired domain as landgrave.
He had been requested by his father to call upon Governor Carteret to
confer with him in respect to the affairs of the province. The captain
seems, in order to conciliate the aggrieved planters, to have taken their
side, as on his elevation as presiding officer of the Assembly he issued
a warrant for the arrest of William Pardon, the secretary of the House,
for refusing to deliver the acts and proceedings of the Assembly, which
had been destroyed by the order of the governor. Pardon was arrested,
but made his escape, fleeing to Bergen, where Governor Carteret and his
council were in session. The executive and .his council issued a docu-
ment at Bergen, May 28, 1671, declaring his purpose that unless the
people would declare their submission in ten days he should proceed
against them as mutineers and enemies of the government. Pardon
was appointed to read this proclamation before a town meeting; an
order was issued for his arrest, his house was broken into, and all his
movables carried away. The governor; by the advice of his council,
determined to lay the grievances of the province before the Lord Pro-
prietors. Thereupon he sailed for England with some of his officials,
appointing John Berry deputy governor in his place. Captain James
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T"b N';W Yi.'KK
PUBLi: LIBRARY
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SIR EDMUND ANDROS
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COMING OF THE ENGLISH 17
Carteret occupied the government house at EHzabethtown, making
frequent visits to New York, and on April 15, 1673, married Frances,
daughter of Captain Thomas Delavall, merchant and mayor of that city.
He had hardly completed his honeymoon when he received dispatches
and instructions from his aged father requiring him to retire from the
scene of conflict and look after his patrimony in Carolina. Just at this
juncture, in July, 1673, New York surrendered to the Dutch rule. By
the treaty of Westminster, concluded the following year between Eng-
land and Holland, all conquests were mutually restored; New Jersey
consequently again passed into the hands of the English.
Governor Carteret returned from England in November, 1674,
Berkeley had sold his half of the province, and Sir George Carteret had
become sole proprietor of East Jersey under a new patent from the Duke
of York, who had received a new charter from Charles II. Time had
softened the animosity of the people, and Governor Carteret was warmly
welcomed. Life at the court of the Stuarts had confirmed Carteret in
his opinions, and the Dutch rule had strengthened the spirit of freedom
in the people, and the same disagreement arose almost at once. Not
content to let old grievances drop, Carteret revived the old questions
of land patents and other matters of former dissensions. The people
offered to compromise, but the governor refused to recede from his
position, and the people were obliged to yield. A season of comparative
peace followed, and the province developed under Carteret's fule.
The same ship in which Carteret sailed from England brought as a
passenger Sir Edmund Andros, a kinsman, the newly appointed governor
of New York. Later he became governor of all the colonies, and in his
attempt to extend his jurisdiction over New Jersey came in conflict with
the government of Carteret, and also with the desires and interests of
the people, who united in common cause against a formidable enemy,
and all former animosities were forgotten. In March, 1680, Andros
notified Carteret that he intended to take military possession of the
province and to erect a fort at Sandy Point. Carteret was decided in
his opposition, but the dogmatic Andros in a cowardly way effected the
capture of the governor, confining him in prison. Carteret was brought
to trial for presuming to exercise jurisdiction within the bounds of His
Majesty's letters-patent granted to the Duke of York. The jury, how-
ever, declared him not guilty, and he was acquitted, but an order was
appended to the judgment of the court requiring him to give security
that he would not exercise jurisdiction either civil or military in the
province of New Jersey. Upon his release on parole, Carteret appealed
to the new government, and occupied his leisure in leading the life of
a private citizen at Elizabethtown, improving his estate, the erection of
a new house, and in getting married. In March, 1681, on receipt of
letters from England, Governor Carteret resumed office by proclamation
lfld~2
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i8 MIDDLESEX
and took up the controversy with the people, which remained a matter
of litigation until the Revolution intervened. The heirs of Sir George
Carteret having sold their interests in East Jersey, the governor was
superseded in November, 1682, by Deputy Governor Thomas Rudyard.
His death occurred soon afterwards, December 10, 1682, in his forty-
fourth year, undoubtedly hastened by the exposure and ill treatment at
the time of his arrest by Andros.
Carteret was an honorable man of good character, and sincerely tried
to govern his people well, according to his lights. Unfortunately he was
a Royalist, believing in the divine rights of kings, and could have had
little sympathy with the Puritan religion and Roundhead politics. Taken
as a whole, his governorship cannot be considered a failure. He was a
man of good moral character, firmness, even temper, and simplicity.
East Jersey developed under his rule without check or failure. He
showed possibly a lack of adaptability, but he came to the colonies to
rule, not to be ruled by those under his authority.
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THE ^KW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
TTLr
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A LOG CABIN, WITH MODERN ROOF
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CHAPTER IV.
y THE SETTLEMENT OF THE RARITAN VALLEY.
^he colonization of Elizabethtown stimulated and encouraged the
settlehient of the country laying west in the Valley of the Raritan^ Dan-
iel Pierce, with other associates residing in Newbury, Massachu^tts, on
May 21, 1666, entered into an agreement with Governor Carteret, John
Ogden and Luke Watson, to settle two townships. The tract specified
was known as Arthur Kull, or Amboyle, originally granted by Governor
Nicolls to John Bailey, Daniel Denton and Luke Watson, extending
from the Raritan river to the Rawack river and running back into the
country, according to the Indian deed. In consideration of £80 sterling,
one-half of this tract was transferred to Pierce, December 11, 1666. A
week later he transferred to John Martin, Charles Gilman, Hugh Dunn
and Hopewell Hull ^ third part of the land he had thus acquired. On
December 3, 1667, Pierce was commissioned deputy-surveyor to lay out
the bounds of a town to be known as Woodtridge, and to apportion the
land belonging to each individual. On June 11, 1669, he and his asso-
ciates received a charter which created the tract of land therein described
(said to contain six miles square) into a township to consist of not less
than sixty families. By a resolution adopted on that day, this number of
families was not to be exceeded unless by special order of the town.
The nine original associates were John Bishop, Robert Dennis, Henry
Jacques, Stephen Kent, Hugh March, John Pike, Daniel Pierce, Joshua
Pierce, and John Smith, wheelwright, to designate him from another of
the same name, who was a Scotchman. These associates were allowed
to retain two hundred and forty acres of upland and forty of meadow in
addition to the regular allotment to each freeholder. The Pikes, Pierces,
Bishops, Jacques, Kents and Marches were from Newbury, Massachu-
setts ; Dennis, another of the associates, was from Yarmouth, in the same
colony. John Smith was honored immediately after the organization
of the town with the post of constable, later promoted to a deputy to
the Assembly and an assistant judge. The town meetings were at first
held at his house, he acting as moderator, and he appears to have been
an esteemed citizen. There is no mention made in the records of his
family, and his identity and his descendants become lost in the numerous
Smiths in the vicinity.
John Pike seems to have become the prominent man of the town
immediately after settlement; he was elected president of Woodbridge,
became one of Governor Carteret's councillors, and was appointed
captain of the militia. Major Zebulon Pike, of the Revolutionary War,
and General Zebulon Montgomery Pike, who distinguished himself in
1
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the War of 1812, were of this family. Daniel Pierce was a blacksmith,
whose father first settled at Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1637. He
returned to Newbury, Massachusetts, soon after the settlement of Wood-
bridge ; Joshua, his son, died in the latter part of 1670. Robert Dennis,
though he held many offices in the township and was highly respected,
owing to infirmities of body ceases to be mentioned after 1675. John
Bishop was a carpenter, and though he held several prominent offices in
the town there is no mention in any way to throw light upon his char-
acter. Henry Jacques was also a carpenter. Stephen Kent, one of the
earliest settlers of Newbury, was an old man on his arrival in New Jer-
sey. Hugh March subsequently returned to Newbury.
The majority of the first settlers came from New England, and most
of them were descendants from the Puritans. The inhabitants of Wood-
bridge pursued the even tenor of their ways amidst the quietness and
sobriety of a secluded agricultural people. Woodbridge had ten thou-
sand acres for the town and twenty thousand for adjoining plantations,
several of these being highly improved. A court house and prison were
there, and the possession of a charter gave to the town a peculiar con-
sideration in the province. At the time of the transfer of East Jersey to
the twenty-four Proprietors, March 14, 1682, Woodbridge's population
was estimated at six hundred. The inhabitants were loyal to the Dutch
and English governors, to the proprietaries' interests or royal preroga-
tives, whichever had the ascendancy. Plain Samuel Dennis, justice
under English rule, became Samuel Dennis, schepen, when the Hol-
landers temporarily gained the supremacy. The town with equal facility
was transferred from the province of New Jersey to the schoutship of
Achter Kull in the New Netherland.
Among the early settlers of Woodbridge were the Bloomfields;
Thomas and his son Thomas became freeholders in 1670. The elder
Bloomfield was a carpenter by trade, and his grandson, Captain John
Bloomfield, was in Colonel Dayton's Third Continental Regiment in
1776. The Comptons came to Woodbridge when it was a vast forest,
William being the pioneer settler, and he was the first white man to
cut down the timber. His daughter Mary was the first white child bom
in the township. John French worked at his trade of mason and builder
at an early date. The Gannitt and Grasie families were of Huguenot
descent who settled upon Staten Island and subsequently came to New
Jersey. Samuel Hale came from Newbury, Massachusetts, was a surgeon,
held official relation in the Assembly, and in framing the charter of the
township. Samuel Morse was the first town clerk and held the office
for a score of years. He and his brother Matthew made New Jersey
their permanent abode from the time of their arrival. Benjamin and
Elisha Parker were not relatives, but they came about the same time
to Woodbridge ; Benjamin was a freeholder in 1670 ; Elisha first settled
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THE RARITAN VALLEY 21
in Woodbridge in 1675, was appointed high sheriff of the county of
Middlesex in 1694, represented the county in the Provincial Assembly
and was a member of Governor Hunter's council. Richard, the ancestor
of the Connerly family, was of Scotch descent, and came to Woodbridge
in 1680. He settled near the "Blazing Star Ferry," on the Kill Von Kull,
and probably kept the ferry, near which he lived. He was a joiner by
trade. George Lockhart, a practitioner of pKysic, is mentioned in 1679
as residing in Woodbridge. Peter Dessigny was another practitioner
of physic, or "chirurgeon," and was living in the township in 1692. The
Rev. Archibald Riddell was a passenger on the ill-fated ship "Henry
and Francis" that brought Scot's cargo of Scottish Covenanters to
America ; he officiated as pastor to the people of Woodbridge during his
enforced residence in America. Another passenger on Scot's vessel,
Robert McLellan, bought a plantation in Woodbridge, having as an
inmate of his family Rev. Mr. Riddell. They sailed for Europe together
in 1689. but McLellan subsequently returned and took possession of
his lands in Woodbridge. Adam Hood or Hude was also a passenger
in the "Henry and Francis ;" he is styled in the old records as a weaver ;
he purchased in 1695 lands in Woodbridge, and became in 1718 one of
the judges of the Court of Common Pleas for Middlesex county, and soon
after the presiding judge, acting in that capacity until 1733.
The affairs of Woodbridge were managed as in New England at
town meetings, and in January, 1699, it became necessary to make it
obligatory to attend these meetings under a penalty of nine pence for
non-attendance, and upon refusal to pay the fine the delinquent was to
be turned out of the meeting house. The early residents deemed it
necessary to prepare against Indian attacks, and a rate was levied to
provide ten pounds of powder and twenty pounds of lead; the prison
was ordered to be fortified by stockades of a half or whole tree of nine
feet long at least, to provide a place of safety for the women and chil-
dren, but it was never occupied. A ranger of the woods was appointed
to prevent danger threatened by the French and Indians. These are
the only occurrences on record intimating the existence of any appre-
hended difficulty with the natives. The first grist mill in the township
was erected in 1670-71 by Jonathan Dunham, and a saw mill was built
on Rahawack river by James Bishop in 1682. In February, 1703, John
Clake (or Cleak) was encouraged to put up a fulling mill by a grant of
twenty acres of land on the Rahawack. The first tavern was established
by Samuel Moore in 1683, where rum could be had for three shillings
per gallon. The killer of wolves was allowed from ten to twenty-five
shillings for each head.
The early associates of Piscataway came principally from the region
watered by the Piscataqua river, which now is a portion of the boundary
line of Maine and New Hampshire. It is the Indian name of one of the
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eastern tribes, and the orthography of the town's name was changed
soon after its settlement to its present form. The original grantees
were Hugh Dunn, Hopewell Hull, John Martin, Charles Gilman, Robert
Dennis, John Smith, John Gilman and Benjamin Hull. The names
first mentioned in the contracts and assignments of lands in this town-
ship were the Gilmans in 1675; the Blackshaws, Drakes, Hands and
Hendricks in 1677; the Dotys (Doughtys) and Wolfs in 1678; the Smal-
leys. Hulls and Trothers in 1679 ; the Hansworths, Martins and Higgins
in 1680; the Dunhams, Laflowers (Laforge) and Fitz Randolphs in 1681 ;
the Suttons, Brindleys, Bounds (Bound) and Fords in 1682; the Grubs
and Adams in 1683 ; the Pregmores in 1684 ; the Davises and Slaughters
in 1685 ; the Chandlers and Smiths in 1689.
^***^ In the southeastern portion of the township lived members of the
Fields family, whose ancestor came from England and settled at New-
port, Rhode Island, in an early day. He removed to Flushing, Long
Island, from whence John Field passed into New Jersey, purchasing
1,050 acres lying between Bound Brook and New Brunswick, along the
Raritan river. The Garretsons were of Dutch stock, the first of the fam-
ily emigrating from Holland in 1658. A descendant, Hendrick Garretson,
was at Richmond, Staten Island, and in 1698 purchased of Jacques Poil-
lion a farm upon the Raritan river. John Smalley is named as a free-
holder in 1691. The Martins and Dunhams were from Dover, New
Hampshire, and of the latter family Rev. Edward Dunham was the first
clergyman of the Seventh Day Baptist church in Piscataway. Among
the first members of this church were Thomas and John Fitz Randolph,
who resided m the center of the township. They were descendants of
Edward Fitz X^andolph, a scion of an ancient family of Yorkshire who
traced their ancwtry to Count Herald Fitz Randolph, who accompanied
William the Conqueror to England and upon whom he settled various
estates. The American ancestor, in company with his widowed mother,
came to New England in 1630; he married at Barnstable, Massachu-
setts, Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Blossom, and with his wife and
their unmarried children: John, Joseph, Elizabeth, Thomas, Benjamin
and perhaps Hope, removed from Massachusetts to Piscataway in 1668.
Edward Fitz Randolph was a man of note and is mentioned in the rec-
ords of Barnstable, Massachusetts, as one of the earliest settlers of that
town; he died shortly after coming to New Jersey. Edward Slater
was a freeholder in the township in 1683, and owned a large number of
acres ; he was the first clerk of the courts of the county. Vincent Rug-
nion, the name afterwards becoming Runyon, was of Huguenot descent ;
he removed to Piscataway in 1677, ^^^ ^^^ allotted land on the Raritan
river. Therefore, by a cursory examination it can be readily seen that
the first settlers of Piscataway were of more mixed nationality than the
New England settlers of Woodbridge.
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THE RARITAN VALLEY
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The original settlers in the vicinity of New Brunswick were Dutch
and French Protestants. There were, however, in 1683, some English
and Dutch plantations on the Raritan above and below the present city
of New Brunswick, while the central part was only a swamp. In June,
1681, John Inian and company purchased from the Indians a tract of land
embracing ten thousand acres on the south side of the Raritan river
opposite the township of Piscataway. This tract afterwards became
known as the Raritan lots, and is now the lower edge of New Bruns-
wick, running along the river to near Bound Brook. The tract was soon
afterwards surveyed and laid out into nineteen lots having in general
less than a half of mile of river front and about two miles deep, aggre-
gating about six hundred and forty acres. John Inian purchased two
of these lots in what is now New Brunswick; to the north of his pur-
chase, lots were sold to Gibbons, Inian, Bainbridge, Bridgeman, Miller,
Jones, Clements, Antill and Dockwra. South of Inian's purchase,
Thomas Lawrence bought three thousand acres ; this tract subsequently
came into the possession of Cornelius Longfield and Governor Barclay,
while that of Inian was purchased by Philip French, who laid out
st^ts upon it and cut it up into building lots and farms.
^The first Dutch on the Raritan came about 1683, principally from
Longf Island.yThe condition of affairs cannot be better illustrated than
giving extracts from a Scotchman's letter to his brother in Edinburgh.
He writes that the Indians are nothing to fear, the country being as
peaceable as anywhere else. There are no bears, nor ravenous beasts
except wolves, which are harmless; snakes are not to be noticed, as
they give timely warning of an attack by the rattling of their tails.
Oxen are so well taught they go sometimes in a plough or cart without
horse or without a gad-man. Horses and cattle are as cheap as in Scot-
land. The air, he writes, is healthful, the soil fruitful, Indian com yielding
commonly two or three hundred fold and oats twenty fold. He informs
his brother that there were several reasonably good towns in the prov-
ince of more than eighty families each, that they were no poor people,
and the liquor they used was cider, as there was a great store of fruit.
The old inhabitants, he states, are a most careful and infrugal people,
their profession most part Protestants, a few Quakers, and some Ana-
baptists, but there was a lack of preachers and he hoped his brother
would be instrumental in filling this want.
The point at the mouth of the Raritan river is first mentioned in the
deed of Augustine Heermans by the name of Ompage. In the subse-
quent deed to Bailey, Denton and Watson, no particular name is given
to either the point or country, but the next year, Bailey transferring his
rights to Philip Carteret, calls the country, Arthur Cull or Emboyle,
which was written Amboyle; from these names Ambo was derived and
conferred upon the point. In granting the charter of Woodbridge, it
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24 MIDDLESEX
was specified that one thousand acres should be reserved in and about
Ambo Point, one hundred acres of which were to be laid out in the most
convenient place adjacent to the point. This reservation is a proof of
sound discrimination and judgment of Governor Carteret, as it was a
most eligible site for the situation of a city. He most likely had in mind
the opposition to his authority shown at Elizabethtown, which induced
him to recommend the removal of the seat of government to some
place where the interests of the proprietaries would be more regarded.
The transfer of the province into other hands and the death of Carteret
prevented the realization of his plans. The new proprietaries also were
interested in establishing a city at the point, and contributed £1,200
in furtherance of the project, but their deputy governors were slow in
making progress, and it was not until 1684 that any effective steps were
taken. In that year, Lawrie, the then deputy governor, received positive
orders to remove the offices of government from Elizabethtown to what
was then called the new town of Perth.
In the month of December, 1685, an arrival of more than ordinary
interest occurred at the Point. A vessel freighted with Scotchmen upon
whom persecution had wrought the work of purification and whose souls
had been tempered for patient endurance by sore trials and misfortunes,
anchored in. the harbor. They were Scotch Covenanters, members of
the Cameronians, a sect of Scotch Presbyterian dissenters. James I.
had enforced on his Scottish subjects a liturgy which the people
abhorred. This exercise of the royal prerogative led in 1638 to the
formation of a covenant in behalf of the true religion and freedom of the
Kirkdom. The orgfanization of the Scottish Presbytery was still further
completed in the adoption of the Presbyterian form of church govern-
ment, a Calvinistic confession of faith, and the two catechisms, which
documents are still the standard of the Scottish Kirk. The act of English
and Scottish parliaments against conventicles, the legalized persecutions,
with other irritating matters, exasperated the Covenanters to a point
where they thought forbearance ceased to be a duty. They therefore
took up arms against the royal power and were disastrously beaten, and
many executed and imprisoned. They largely were inhabitants of the
Lowlands of Scotland, the Highlanders being generally adherents of
the Roman Catholic religion or the Church of England. To these people
America oflFered a refuge, and through the exertions of George Scot,
Laird of Pitlochie, early in May, 1685, a ship of three hundred and fifty
tons named the "Henry and Francis" of Newcastle, England, was char-
tered. On September 5, 1685, the vessel left the harbor of Leith, Scotland,
having on board nearly two hundred passengers, some of whom had
been on board since the previous summer. The voyage was long and
disastrous, fifteen weeks being consumed in crossing the ocean. A fever
of a malignant type broke out, and the meat, owing probably to the
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THE RARITAN VALLEY 35
length of time which had elapsed since the vessel was chartered, became
offensive and uneatable. As many as seventy died at sea, among whom
was George Scot, Laird of Pitlochie, his wife also, her sister-in-law, Lady
Althemie, and her two children.
The charge for transportation as publicly announced was £5 sterling
for each adult, and to each of those who were unable to pay for their
passage was promised twenty-five acres of land and a suit of new clothes
on the completion of four years' service to those who advanced the requi-
site amount. After their arrival, considerable difficulty took place on
account of those that had come over without paying their passage money.
An attempt was made to have them serve their four years' indenture in
consideration of the expense incurred by Scot for their transportation.
This they would not agree to, and suits were brought. The jury returned
a verdict for the plaintiff of £5 sterling and costs. It is a difficult matter
to determine how many of these Scotch Covenanters became permanent
residents of Perth Amboy. A large number of them returned to Eng-
land; others, on the accession of William and Mary to the throne of
England, returned to their native land. A more detailed account of those
that remained in Perth Amboy will be given in the history of that city
in this work.
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CHAPTER V.
THE EAST JERSEY PROPRIETORS.
The following with relation to the East Jersey Proprietors, by Adrian
Lyon, registrar of the Board of Proprietors of East Jersey, was read at
the meeting of the Woman's Branch of the New Jersey Historical Society
at Newark, May lo, 1916:
On June 24, 1497, John and Sebastian Cabot, sailing under the author-
ity of Henry VH. of England, reached North America, unfurled the
royal banner and took possession in the name of the King. From this
is derived the English title. On March 12, in the sixteenth year of the
reign of Charles H., 1664, he granted to his brother James, Duke of
York, the lands from the west side of Connecticut river to the east side
of Delaware bay, together with the right of government.
On June 24, 1664, James, Duke of York, granted to John Lord Berk-
ley, Baron of Stratton, and Sir George Carteret, of Saltrum, Knight,
two of His Majesty's most Honorable Privy Council, "all that tract of
land adjacent to New England and lying and being to the westward of
Long Island and Manhitas Island, and bounded on the east part by the
main sea, and part by Hudson river, and hath upon the west Delaware
bay or river, and extendeth southward to the main ocean as far as Cape
May at the mouth of Delaware bay ; and to the northward as far as the
northermost branch of the said bay or river of Delaware, which is 41** 40'
of latitude, and crosseth over thence in a straight line to Hudson's river
in 41 degrees of latitude; which said tract of land is hereafter to be
called by the name or names of New Caeserea or New Jersey." This
conveyance was by the common form of lease and release, and conveyed
the soil only, but did not transfer the right of government.
On July 30, 1673, New York and New Jersey were taken by the
Dutch. On Feb. 9, 1674, a treaty of peace restored the country to the
English, and they continued in undisturbed possession until the war of
Independence.
Because the country was conquered by the Dutch and afterwards
restored to the English, Charles II., on June 29, 1674, gfave a new grant
to James, Duke of York, similar to the former grant, and on July 29,
1674, James, Duke of York, gave another grant to Sir George Carteret
for that part of New Jersey as far southward as Barnegfat creek.
On July I, 1676, the quintipartite deed was executed between Sir
George Carteret, William Penn, Gawen Lawry, Nicholas Lucas, and
Edward Billinge, by which East New Jersey was confirmed to Sir George
Carteret, and the partition line between East Jersey and West Jersey
was described. This division line ran from the east side of Little Egg
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28 MIDDLESEX
Harbour to a point on the Delaware river where it was intersected by
the old partition line between New York and New Jersey as intended
by the original grant from the Duke of York to Berkley and Carteret.
This point was at 41** 40' latitude, and was some distance above the
point where the river curves sharply to the west. This results in throw-
ing the division line farther to the west than can be readily understood
by those who have in mind the most northerly point of the State as it
now exists. The situation can readily be seen by reference to the map
in Smith's "History of New Jersey." This line is commonly known as
the Lawrence line, because it was run by John Lawrence, a surveyor,
in 1743-
Sir George Carteret died in 1680. By his will he left his widow, Lady
Elizabeth, executrix of his estate and guardian of his grandson and heir
and devised to six persons all his property in East Jersey, in trust for
the benefit of his creditors. These trustees were Right Hon. John Earl
of Bath, Thomas Lord Creive, the Hon. Barnard Greenvill, Esqr., brother
of the said Earl of Bath, Sr. Robert Atkins, Knight of the Bath, Sr.
Edward Atkins, Knight, one of the Barons of His Majesty's Court of
Exchequer. On March 16, 1680, by a writing, they declared "that all
Pattents of any Lands in the said Province granted or to be granted to
any Person or Persons whatsoever shall hereafter be made in the name
only of the Right Honble the Lady Elizabeth Carteret, widdow, the
Relict and sole Executrix of the said Sr. George Carteret, deceased, and
grandmother and gardian to Sr. George Carteret Baronet Grandsone
and heir of the said Sr. George Carteret deceased." These trustees
oflFered said property in East Jersey at public sale to the highest bidder.
William Penn and eleven associates purchased it for £3400, and it wa^
conveyed to them on Feb. 2, 1682. Each of these twelve proprietors
subsequently sold one-half of his respective right to a new associate,
making twenty-four in all.
On March 14, 1682, the Duke of York confirmed the title of the
twenty-four proprietors to East Jersey by name as follows : Right Hon.
James Earl of Perth, the Hon. John Drummond, Esq., of Lundy ; Robert
Barclay, Esq., and David Barclay, Junior, Esq., of Eury ; Robert Gordon,
Esq., of Cluny ; Arent Sonmans, Esq., of Wallingford, all in the Kingdom
of Scotland; William Penn, Esq., of Worminghurst in the county of
Sussex; Robert West, Esq., of the Middle Temple, London; Thomas
Rudyard, gentleman, of London ; Samuel Groom, mariner, of the parish
of Stepney in the county of Middlesex; Thomas Hart, merchant, of
Enfield, in the county of Middlesex ; Richard Mew, merchant, of Stepney,
aforesaid ; Ambrose Rigg, gentleman, of Gatton Place in the county of
Surry ; Thomas Cooper, citizen and merchant-taylor, of London ; Gawen
Lawry, merchant, of London ; Edward Billing, gentleman, of the city of
Westminster, in the county of Middlesex; James Braine, merchant, of
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EAST JERSEY PROPRIETORS 29
London; William Gibson, citizen and haberdasher, of London; John
Haywood, citizen and skinner, of London ; Hugh Hartshorne, citizen and
skinner, of London ; Clement Plunsteed, citizen and draper, of London ;
Thomas Barker, merchant, of London; Robert Turner, merchant, and
Thomas Warne, merchant, both of the city of Dublin, in the Kingdom
of Ireland. These included the twelve original proprietors with the
exception of Thomas Wilcox, who had sold his entire interest to David
Barclay. This grant is recorded in the office of the East Jersey Pro-
prietors in Book A, page 53.
By a letter under date of Nov. 23, 1683, addressed to the Governor
and Council of East New Jersey, and to the planters, inhabitants, and
all others concerned in the Province, Charles 11. recognized the title of
the twenty-four proprietors to the soil and the right of government.
In Whitehead's "History of East Jersey under the Proprietors" he
states that :
"The greater number of the proprietaries being in England and
Scotland, all orders and instructions, however minute, emanated at first
from their councils there ; but emigration and a transfer of proprietary
rights soon brought to the province such a number of those directly
interested in the soil, that on the first August, 1684, a board of com-
missioners was established, comprising all the proprietaries that might
be from time to time in the province, to act with the deputy governor
in the temporary approval of laws passed by the Assembly — the settle-
ment of all disputes with the planters — the purchase and laying out of
lands, and other matters. This soon after became known as the 'Board
of Proprietors,' and continued to have the chief management within the
province, of those concerns which were connected with the proprietary
titles to the government and soil. To this board was also intrusted the
adoption of such measures as might best conduce to the advancement
and improvement of a new town to be called 'Perth,' in honor of the Earl
of Perth, one of the proprietaries, standing on what was then known as
Ambo Point."
The earliest minutes of the meetings of the proprietors are found in
book A. B., No. i. This is entitled: "The Joumall of the procedure of
the proprietors and proxies to proprietors of this province of East New
Jersey from and after the 9th day of Aprill Anno dm 1685." The
writing is hard to decipher by those not familiar with it. It soon yields
to diligence and attention, however, and can be read with little trouble.
This volume is interesting by reason of the fact that it contains the
minutes to the year 1705, and thus includes the whole period during
which tTie proprietors had the government of the province as well as
the title to the soil.
The first item is a record of a deputation of power dated Aug. i,
1684, from Robert Barclay, Governor, and other proprietors of the
province to Gawen Lawrie, the deputy governor, to do sundry things,
among which was to approve and confirm such acts of Assembly as
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30 MIDDLESEX
shall be found necessary to establish before copies could be sent to them
for confirmation. The limitation as to the acts to be approved and the
temporary nature of the power was shown by the concluding words:
'*But when the fundamental! Constitutions are passed in Assembly then
to proceed according to them."
Other powers given by this and another similar deputation of power
dated Nov. 13, 1684, also recorded in this book, were to end all matters
in debate between the proprietors and the former planters; to "order,
settle, sell, or dispose of by Pattent, the Lotts for building and other
Lands of Perth so as may best conduce to the advance and improvement
of that towne;" to purchase and take lands in the Proprietors* names
from the Indians; to rent lands to those who may desire to settle, and
this was to be without limit "until we see what further prospect there
may be of sending over people enough from England, Scotland and
other nations for that end ;" to run the several lines of division between
the province and New York and West Jersey; to raise out of the sale
of lands or quit rents £180 to pay to Thomas Rudyard for his services
while Governor; to end all controversies and differences with men of
Neversinks and Elizabeth Towne or any other planters, expressly stat-
ing that they would "not enter into any treaty on this side with any of
those people who claim by Collonell Nicholl's pattent nor with any other
that claims land by pretenses from the late Governor Carteret as being
both an affront to the Government And of Evill Consequence to make
things to be put of by delays and thereby hinder the settlement of our
affairs in the province;" to remove restrictions in favor of those who
have purchased shares and sent over stores ; to set off twenty-five acres
to each servant that may come into the province ; to grant warrants and
patents, on the signature of three members of the council until the pas-
sage of the fundamental laws ; to fill vacancies in the offices of secretary,
surveyor general, or registrar; to lay a tax of £5 on each propriety and
collect the same.
The first meeting, of which the minutes are recorded in this book,
was held at Elizabeth Towne on April 9, 1685. There were present at
this meeting Gawen Lawrie, deputy governor; Thomas Rudyard, sec-
retary; Thomas Wame, John Campbell, David Mudy, John Barclay,
Thomas FuUerton, Robert Fullerton, Thomas Gordon, and James
Johnson.
At this first meeting the deputation to Gawen Lawrie was received
and ordered to be put on record in a book to contain a journal of the
procedure of the Proprietors. George Keith also produced his com-
mission to be surveyor general, which was subscribed in Scotland July
31, 1684, and in London, Aug. 8, 1684, by a major part of the proprietors.
William Haige also produced a commission dated July 27, 1683, for the
surveyor general's place which was still in force. Upon the production
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EAST JERSEY PROPRIETORS 31
of these commissions a resolution was passed that George Keith should
have a warrant for five hundred acres and also a town lot to be laid out
to him by the governor and that further consideration of the commis-
sion for the surveyor general be deferred until the next meeting of the
council. Pursuant to the foregoing order it was agreed that George
Keith should have one of the proprietors* houses, namely, "that wherein
Thomas Warne now inhabits."
The consideration of the laying out of Amboy was suggested and
was deferred until the next meeting. It was brought up at the next
meeting and an order was made by the council that a map of Perth
Amboy be prepared. There is to be found in the office a map made on
parchment bearing no date but entitled "A Mapp of Perth Amboy East
New Jersey containing 1,100 Acres Subtract 30 for the Waste Ground
Remains 1,070 Acres." This map shows plots to various persons, among
them being Peter Sonmons, Governor Lawrie, 20 acres, William Haige,
13 acres, Governor Robert Barclay, 25 acres, Thomas Warne, Benjamin
Clark, George Wilcox, John Campbell, 12 acres, Thomas Gordon, 6
acres. Many of the streets are laid out as they exist at present in Perth
Amboy, and the roads from Perth Amboy to Piscataway and Wood-
bridge are distinctly marked. Whether or not this is the map that was
made pursuant to this first action of the council of course cannot be
definitely determined, but its appearance and the names inscribed
thereon very clearly connect it with the earliest times.
The function of government at this time was of very little importance
in this sparsely settled community. The greater part, therefore, of the
action of the council of proprietors had to do with the laying out of
lands, the granting of patents, the collection of quit rents and the pur-
chasing of lands from the Indians.
At the meeting held on April 10, 1685, the board resolved to hold
meetings of the council monthly at Elizabethtown. At a meeting held
at Elizabethtown on Friday, June 12, 1685, George Keith was made
surveyor general in the absence of Mr. Haige. In November, i6Ss, a
confirmation from Governor Barclay and several others of the pro-
prietors in England to George Keith for the office of surveyor general
was received and it was ordered that Keith be installed in the office.
On page 24 of this first book of minutes there are what appear to be
the original signatures of Gawen Lawrie, Jno. Campbell, Tho. Fulertoun,
David Mudie, Jr., John Barclay, Geo. Willoks, Thomas Warne, R.
Fulertoune, Thomas Gordon, John Rudyard. These signatures are made
under date of Aug. 14, 1685. Among the places for which lands were
granted at this early time were Amboy, Elizabethtown, Newark, Wood-
bridge and Piscataway.
In the midst of this celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anni-
versary of the founding of Newark, it is fitting to refer to some of the
actions of the board concerning this town.
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At the meeting held on April lo, 1685, a petition was presented from
Thomas Johnson, John Ward and several other inhabitants of Newark
requesting a patent for the corporation of Newark. Upon consideration
of the matter in the petition it was agreed and resolved that as there
were patents for lands made by the former governor to several of the
petitioners and others, it was not safe for the board and governor to
treat upon anything in the petition until all the patents of the inhabitants
of Newark be delivered up and surrendered to the board for the use of
the Lords Proprietors.
At a meeting held at Elizabethtown on Oct. 15, 1685, a petition of
Thomas Johnson, John Ward and others to the number of eleven, call-
ing themselves a committee in behalf of the inhabitants of the town of
Newark, therein desiring the council to grant them a patent for their
town and a confirmation of their just rights to their purchased bounds,
as the same is expressed in their Indian deed of sale, they being willing
to pay the annual rent of £10, being read, it was "agreed and ordered
that when the inhabitants of the town of Newark shall pay all the arrears
of quit rent for the land they already hold by patent that then this
council will treat with them concerning the subject matter in the peti-
tion."
On February 28, 1692, John Curtice, Edward Ball, Thomas Richards
and George Harrieson came before the board and represented that they
were:
"A committee chosen by the town of Newark to discourse the board
about an amicable and friendly accommodation concerning their lands
which they hold of the proprietors, to have all the lands which they
possess by legfall purchase from the Indians, for a yearly acknowledge-
ment, &c. After a long conference between the board and the aforesaid
persons in behalf of the said town of Newark the governor with the
consent of the members of the council proposed to the said persons that
if the people of the inhabitants of Newark would (such of them as yet
had not) take out patents forthwith for the lands which they possess
and pay their arrears of quit rent for the time passed and in time coming
that then all the old settlers and first adventurers with their associates
should have one hundred acres of land per piece at six pence per annum
quit rent within the bounds of the said town of Newark. The committee
for the town of Newark aforesaid taking the premises into consideration
desired fourteen days' time to acquaint their town herewith and to give
their answer, which was agreed to by this board."
At the meeting held at Perth Amboy on April 20, 1693, it was reported
in reference to the foregoing matter :
"That several of the old settlers of Newark had already agreed and
complied, and some others had offered to comply, and had petitioned to
have the same terms granted to them as others of the province and the
rest of their neighbors have had. After a full debate and deliberate con-
sideration of this board it was put to the vote whether it be for the
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EAST JERSEY PROPRIETORS 33
interest of the proprietors or not that the inhabitants of Newark who are
old settlers of the said town should have one hundred acres of land each
granted them at six pence per annum quit rent. It was the unanimous
opinion of the board in the affirmative that it was for the interest of the
proprietors to grant the request, except George Willoks who differs."
The names of the persons to whom the one hundred acres of land
each were granted were then given, but they are too numerous to repeat
here. From time to time there were further petitions from the inhabi-
tants of Newark as old settlers for one hundred acres of land at six
pence per annum. The patents were granted upon condition that such
of them as had old patents take out new ones and resign the old ones.
Their names were given.
On April 10, 1696, a petition was presented by John Curtice and
Robert Yong, both of Newark, in behalf of the rest of the freeholders
of said town for a patent for their streets, market places, training places,
burial places, landing places, watering places, &c., and also two hundred
acres for a parsonage. It was agjeed and ordered they have a patent
granted to the freeholders in common.
The proprietors were interested in the propagfation of religion,
because it appears that they frequently granted lands for meeting houses
and parsonages. In addition to the grants to Newark it appears that on
Dec. 10, 1698, it was agreed and ordered that one of the old houses at
the point and the lot on which it stands be given and allowed by the
proprietors to be a church, for the use of the town of Perth Amboy.
This was doubtless the beginning of St. Peter's parish, one of the oldest
in the State.
In the minutes of a meeting held at Amboy in November of 1685, a
reference is made to the arrival of Lord Neal Campbell and other gen-
tlemen to view the province.
On Sept. 16, 1692, Colonel Andrew Hamilton produced a commission
to be chief governor of the province, dated at London, March 25, 1692.
The foregoing references to the minutes of the board of proprietors
are given as examples to show the activities of the board in those early
days. Further references cannot be made in the limited time at my
disposal.
There seems to be a break in the records of the meetings of the board
from 1705 to 1725 ; but beginning on March 25, 1725, the records of the
meetings of the council of proprietors continue with regularity until
the present time. There is no record of any meeting, however, between
Aug. 14, 1778, and an attempted meeting on April 23, 1782, owing
doubtless to the Revolutionary War. On this latter date a number of
the members of the board convened at the house of Jacob Arnold, Esq.,
of Morristown. There not being a sufficient number to form a board
they agreed to hold another meeting at Princeton on June 3, 1782. The
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minutes from 1725 to 1764 are found in minute book A ; from 1764 to
1794 in minute book B ; from 1794 to 1867 in minute book C ; and from
1867 to date in minute book D.
On August II, 1725, the proprietors entered into an agreement by
which it was agreed that each owner of propriety should have one vote
for each quarter held, provided that no one proprietor should have more
than twelve votes; no person should be a proxy but a proprietor or
agent for a proprietor ; that a general council of proprietors at their two
yearly meetings should consist of ten persons (afterwards changed to
seven persons) at least, whose interests or those they represent com-
puted together should make up eight whole proprieties; and that the
president should be chosen annually and all other officers continued
during good behavior. The minutes of these meetings instead of being
signed by the clerk or secretary were signed by all of the members
present. This would now be a very unusual proceeding, but it adds
much to the interest and appearance of this early record. Many of the
signatures are exceedingly original and some of them have the appear-
ance as if the writer were trying to picture a bird's nest for the adorn-
ment of the record.
The Hon. Cortlandt Parker in an address delivered upon the occa-
sion of the Bi-centennial Celebration of the Board of Proprietors on
Nov. 25, 1884, makes the following reference to the minutes just referred
to:
"And first of all I mention, because of his absorbing interest in pro-
prietary rights, the distinguished James Alexander. The minutes of
the Council of Proprietors from 1725 to 1756 are a monument of the
devotion, zeal, intelligence and unremitting and absorbing care of this
gentleman for the interests of this Association. How much earlier he
bestowed this attention I am not able from th i material furnished me
to say. But during this period it might be said of him that he well-nigh
embodied the Board. If he did not with his own hand pen the minutes,
they must have received his particular and most scrupulous supervision.
They recount his history and the employment of his time. They refer
to incidents now historical and most valuable to the general public."
Reference is made in the minutes of August 24, 1743, to the agreement
with John Lawrence to run the division line. His compensation was to
be the sum of £140 proclamation money. A copy of the instructions
are recorded on page 231 of minute book A and the following pages.
Space here will not suffice to refer in particular to all of the records
in the office of the board at Perth Amboy. There are about a dozen
books of miscellaneous records containing copies of deeds, wills, grants,
agreements and other documents. There are twelve books of conveyances
of proprietary rights. There are books of warrants which are the records
of the action of the board authorizing surveys of lands to be made for
the proprietors entitled thereto. There are books containing the
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EAST JERSEY PROPRIETORS 35
accounts of the proprietors as to the state of their holdings and the
charges against the same when lands have been taken up by them. The
records of surveys will be hereinafter referred to.
Book C of Laws purports to be copies certified by Elisha Dobree and
John Hyndshaw, made under the authority of King George the Second,
under date of Dec. 13, 1743, and to which the great seal of the Province
is affixed, of all **the Entries of the Public Commissions from all The
Lords Proprietors of the said Province to other the Proprietors resident
in the said Province, And Also the Entries of the Public Commissions,
Writts, Warrants and Acts of General Assembly Granted, made and
passed under the Seal of the said Province from and after the thirteenth
day of November Ano Dom 1682."
The first entry is a proclamation to the planters and inhabitants of
the province by Robert Barclay, governor and proprietor, and the other
proprietors of the province. It set forth that the proprietors hold them-
selves obliged by the law of God and just laws of men to use all honest
means to make the plantation prosperous, and that the interest of the
inhabitants was so bound up with their own that they could not suffer
if the inhabitants prospered nor prosper where the inhabitants were
injured. This proclamation was expressed in the most friendly terms.
These commissions ran to officers of the Board, public officials, such
as justices of the peace, constables, judges of the courts for the deter-
mination of small causes, members or justices of the court of common
right and such other officials as had been provided for by the Acts of
the General Assembly. I may be pardoned for stating that it here
appears that under date of March 20, 1683, Henry Lyon, who was the
direct ancestor of the writer of this paper, with two others were appointed
commissioners to hear and determine small causes in Elizabethtown.
He came to Newark with the Fairfield settlers, of which town he was
the first treasurer, went to Elizabethtown for a time and afterwards
returned to Newark, where he died. His was the eighth name on the
agreement of the New Milford settlers of June 21, 1667, on which the
name of Robert Treat was the first.
Among the Acts passed by the General Assembly were: A Bill to
make Void the Proceedings of some late Courts, a Bill to Settle the
Court of Common Right; a Bill of General Laws; a Bill against
Fugitive Servants; a Bill for the Orderly Keeping of Swine; An Act
against Trading with Negroes; An Act to Encourage the Killing of
Wolves; an Act to Regelate Treaties with the Indians; an Act for
Dividing the County of Middlesex into two counties ; An Act Prohibit-
ing Selling of Strong Drink or Liquor to the Indians ; and many other
like subjects. An Act was passed as early as 1695 for regulating schools.
An early act provided a fine of five shillings for being drunk. Another
provided for restraining and punishing of privateers and pirates.
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But these references must suffice in order to give some time to the
consideration of the most important function of the Board, namely, the
granting of land to the Proprietors and others.
By a document bearing date April 15, 1702, the proprietors surren-
dered to Queen Anne the powers of government, retaining in them-
selves the title to the soil. This document refers at length to the original
grant and states that her Majesty had been advised that the proprietors
had no right to nor could legally execute any of the powers of govern-
ment, but that it belonged to her in right of her Crown of England,
and that the proprietors were desirous to submit themselves to her and
surrender all their pretences of the said powers of government. Refer-
ence is made in the minutes of the meeting of December i, 1702, to a
report of Lewis Morris of his negotiations in England concerning this
surrender. Upon this event, to use the language of Mr. Parker, in the
address above referred to, the board "became what it ought to have
been from the beginning, merely an association of landowners."
Thus the twenty-four proprietors, each owning an undivided twenty-
fourth interest, became the owners as tenants in common of all the land
in East New Jersey. Back to them all the titles must be traced to be
good according to the rules of law.
Chief Justice Kirkpatrick, in the case of Arnold vs. Mundy, i Hal-
stead's Reports, at page 67, has stated the rights of the proprietors, in
the following language:
"The Proprietors of East Jersey are tenants in common of the soil ;
their mode of severing this common estate is by issuing warrants, from
time to time, to the several proprietors, according to their respective
rights, authorizing them to survey and appropriate in severalty, the
quantities therein contained. Such warrant does not convey a title to
the proprietor, he had that before; it only authorizes him to sever so
much from the common stock, and when so severed, by the proper
officer, it operates as a release to him for so much. This is the case
when the proprietor locates for himself. When he sells his warrant to
another, that other becomes a tenant in common with all the proprietors
pro tanto, and, in the same manner, he proceeds to convert his common,
into a several, right. Regularly there is a deed of conveyance upon
the transfer of this warrant for so much of the common property, and
that deed of conveyance, and the survey upon the warrant, is the title
of the transferee. It is true, that the survey must be inspected and
approved by the board of proprietors, and must be carefully entered and
kept in the secretary's office, or in the office of the surveyor general of
the division, but this is for the sake of security, order and regularity
only, and is, by no means, the passing of the title. It proves that the
title has already passed, but it is not the means of passing it.*'
In the case of the Board of Proprietors against the Estate of William
M. Force, 72 New Jersey Equity Reports, page 56, in a very exhaustive
opinion by Vice Chancellor Pitney, he refers to the method of passing
title by the Proprietors by a warrant of location and says ;
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EAST JERSEY PROPRIETORS 37
"These warrants of location which came to be called simply 'war-
rants' or Vights' were usually issued by way of dividends to each of the
proprietors according to the amount of his holding, and when issued,
were credited to the proprietor on a book called the warrant book, and
as often as any land was located under them the party who had credit
for so many acres was charged with the amount actually located. The
fact that the most usual occasion of issuing these warrants was by way
of dividends among the proprietors resulted in the process being termed
by the courts a mode of partition among the proprietors."
He also refers to the custom of the proprietors in later years of
issuing warrants of location to outside parties who were not proprietors
by sales with or without auction, and criticised the opinion of the court
in the case of Jennings vs. Bumham, 27 Vroom's Reports, page 289,
which held that the proprietors could not transfer title to their lands
to a stranger by the use of a warrant and survey. The Vice Qiancellor
refers to the case of Cornelius vs. Giberson, i Butcher's Reports, page
I, where such a mode of transfer had been approved by the Supreme
Court, and states that if the attention of the court in the case of Jennings
vs. Burnham had been called to this custom of the proprietors, and to
the case of Cornelius vs. Giberson, the court would have come to a
different conclusion. "For it must be observed," said he, "that the mode
of severing titles by partition is one resting entirely in the custom of the
proprietors, and is not in accordance with the course of the common
law."
Since the surrender of the powers of government in 1702, therefore,
the activities of the Board have been confined to the granting of lands,
and the greater part of the records in the office at Perth Amboy are
records of such actions.
The most usual method of making such grants was upon a warrant
issued by the board directing that a survey be made for a certain number
of acres. By the authority of this warrant a survey was made by a
deputy surveyor who sent his brief certificate and description and com-
putation thereof to the office of the board, or of the surveyor general,
as it is commonly called. Thereupon the surveyor general made a cer-
tificate, called a "return," stating that the deputy surveyor had surveyed
for the person entitled to it a tract of land as described. This "return"
was recorded in the office in the book of "Surveys" and thereby became
the muniment or evidence of title of the proprietor or purchaser.
There are in the office three very old books of Warrants and Surveys
between the years 1673 and 1738. They are valuable from an historical
point of view, but, by reason of our laws concerning the limitation of
time in which actions for the possession of land may be brought, would
be seldom referred to for the purpose of making title. In addition to
these is the regular series of record books in which "surveys" or
"returns" are recorded, beginning with 1719 and continuing in twenty-
three books to date.
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The General Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey is
a corporation. It is the oldest private corporation in this State doing
business at the present time, and doubtless the oldest in this country
It was never incorporated under the authority of any law. Its legal
status in this respect, however, has been before the courts, and in the
case of the Proprietors against the Force Estate, above mentioned. Vice
Chancellor Pitney held it to be a corporation by prescription, and his
holding was affirmed on appeal.
Its relation to the State of New Jersey and especially to the titles to
the soil is anomalous. It had its origin in the grant of a King to his
"dearest Brother," of a land far away beyond the seas, over two hun-
dred and fifty years ago. Then it was a new land, roamed by wild beasts
and inhabited by the Indians. Its attractions were a goodly land, a
fertile soil, the allurements of adventure, and the freedom of the vast
unpeopled domain. Its hardships were the privations of the primeval
forests, and the separation from the ties of the mother Und. This cor-
poration still exists and is still doing business. It is a link between the
present and the past. Through it we are reminded of the sacrifices of
the men in the days that have gone, and of the rewards of their labors
which we in this busy, prosperous, civilized land, are enjoying to the full.
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CHAPTER VI.
THE PROPRIETARY AND COLONIAL GOVERNORS.
The Proprietaries chose Robert Barclay, one of their members, to
succeed Governor Carteret. He was a native of Scotland, having been
born in 1648 at Gordonstown in Morayshire. After finishing his educa-
tion in Paris he was inclined to accept the Roman Catholic faith, but
eventually followed in the footsteps of his father, Colonel Barclay of
Urie, and joined the recently formed Society of Friends. An ardent
theological student, a man of warm feelings, and considerable mental
powers, he soon became known as the leading apologist of the new
doctrine. His greatest literary production was published in Latin in
1676 under the title of "An Apology for the True Christian Divinity,"
which is still the most important manifesto of the Quaker Society. His
death at the age of forty-two years, October 3, 1690, robbed the Society of
Friends of one of the most able exponents of its doctrines. Governor
Barclay never visited New Jersey. His two brothers, John and David,
however, became identified with the province. The former resided first
at Elizabethtown, subsequently at Plainfield, and became a permanent
resident of Perth Amboy about 1688, where he died in the spring of
1 73 1 at an advanced age, with the character of a good neighbor and
useful citizen. David, the other brother, came to the province in 1684,
returned to Scotland, and sailed from Aberdeen in the summer of 1685
for America, but died at sea.
Thomas Rudyard, a lawyer and attorney of London, who had gained
notoriety for his assistance in the trial of William Penn in that city,
having received the appointment of deputy governor, arrived in the
province in the early part of 1683. In his letters to parties in England
he writes of making Elizabethtown his place of residence and of jour-
neying to Philadelphia, stating that while there were salt marshes, the
country was free from mosquitoes. He also writes that provisions were
plentiful, there being vast oyster beds and fresh fish in abundance. The
soil he pronounces as rich, and in his judgment without help it could
be ploughed fifty years without decaying and could produce multitudes
of winter corn.
The stay of Governor Rudyard in the province was but short, as his
successor, Gawen Lawrie, was appointed deputy governor in July, 1683,
but did not reach the province until the early part of the following
year. Governor Lawrie was another Londoner, engaged in mercantile
pursuits in that city. As his name indicates, he was of Scotch descent,
a staunch Quaker. He settled many colonies of Friends in his domain,
of which he was one of the twenty-two proprietaries. He took up his
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residence at Elizabethtown, and though strenuously urged to remove
to Perth Amboy, of which town he was regarded as one of the founders,
he steadfastly refused, as Elizabethtown, having grown to a place of
some pretensions, could oflfer to his family, who accompanied him,
more of the comforts of life than Perth Amboy, which was just entering
upon its existence. His administration of affairs not only gave satis-
faction to the other proprietaries but to those he ruled over. He was
succeeded in 1686 by Lord Niel Campbell. This scion of nobility was
a member of the Scotch clan of Campbells, a brother of the Earl of
Argyle. He became identified with Argyle's expedition in connection
with the Duke of Monmouth's unsuccessful attempt to prevent the
accession of James H. to the throne of Scotland, and became obnoxious
to the government, being subjected to much severity and persecution.
He was arrested and gave a bond of £5,000 to confine himself to a
radius of six miles around Edinburgh. The animosity against the
Campbells became so universal, besides all Protestant heritors being
required to take the oath of allegiance and supremacy, that Lord Camp-
bell's only resource was in flight. Leaving his wife and family, he
embarked for East Jersey in the autumn of 1685, having purchased a
proprietary right, bringing with him or causing to be sent out after-
wards a large number of settlers. The precise date of Lord Campbell's
arrival in the province is not known, but he is mentioned in the pro-
prietaries' minutes of November 27, 1685, as having "newly come out."
His presence in the province led the proprietaries to avail themselves of
his services as their deputy governor, and he was commissioned June 4,
1686, and entered upon his duties the ensuing October. A change in
the political conditions of Scotland enabled him to return to his family,
and he left East Jersey in March, 1687.
At the time of the departure of Lord Campbell for Scotland, Andrew
Hamilton was a member of the governor's council and became acting
governor of the province. A native of Scotland, while he was engaged
in mercantile pursuits in Edinburgh he was sent to East Jersey as a
special agent for the proprietaries. He was continued in office after
the consolidation of the Jerseys, New York and New England, under
the control of Sir Edmund Andros, but when the latter was seized at
Boston, Massachusetts, in April, 1689, Governor Hamilton sailed for
England to consult with the proprietaries. He was appointed governor
of both Jerseys, March 16, 1692, retaining this office until 1697, when he
was superseded by Jeremiah Basse, notwithstanding that his rule was
satisfactory to the colonies and proprietaries. So great was the disorder
and maladministration under his successor that he was reappointed
deputy governor August 19, 1699, holding the office until 1701, when he
became deputy governor of Pennsylvania. His death occurred at Perth
Amboy, while on a visit to his family, April 20, 1703. During his term
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PROPRIETARY AND COLONIAL GOVERNORS 41
as governor he resided in the Brighton house at Perth Amboy, which
had been erected on grounds near the public square as the first govern-
ment house by the proprietaries in 1684. Hamilton was the last of the
proprietaries' governors; wearied out with struggling with the settlers
in 1702, they ceded to the crown their rights of jurisdiction, whereupon
Queen Anne joined New Jersey to New York under the government
of Lord Cornbury. Edward Hyde (Lord Combury) was one of the
first officers to desert the cause of James II., his uncle by marriage, to
join the standard of William of Orange, in 1688. He afterwards became
a member of Parliament, but being harassed by creditors and desirous
of leaving England, he eagerly accepted the appointment of governor
of New York, tendered to him by Queen Anne. Of an arrogant, despotic
disposition, also dishonest and grasping, incessant in his demands upon
the legislatures of the two provinces, especially New Jersey, the cries
of discontent of the oppressed colonies reached Queen Anne's ears. He
was superseded in the spring of 1708 by Lord Lovelace, who did not
reach New York until the close of the year. Lord Lovelace's administra-
tion of affairs was of short duration, as he died early in the year of 1709.
Robert Hunter, known as Brigadier Hunter, was appointed Lord
Lovelace's successor. A Scotchman by birth, he had risen from a humble
station to high military rank. He was the first of the royal governors
of New Jersey who regarded the province with sufficient favor to secure
upon its soil anything like a permanent home. Governor Hunter arrived
at New York in September, 1709. It was an inauspicious period for his
own comfort, immediately succeeding the unpopular and disorganizing
administration of Lord Cornbury, his immediate predecessor, not living
long enough to effect any radical change. Governor Hunter's endeav-
ors were spent in harmonizing the discordant elements around him.
His first message to the Assembly is pregnant with good common sense :
"If honesty is the best policy, plainness must be the best oratory ; so to
deal plainly with you, as long as these unchristian diversions, which
Her Majesty has thought to deserve her repeated notice, reign amongst
you, I shall have small hopes of a happy issue to our meeting * * *.
Let every man begin at home and weed the rancor out of his mind, and
the work is done at once. Leave disputes of property to the laws, and
injuries to the avenger of them, and, like good subjects and good Chris-
tians, join hearts and hands for the common good." Such and similar
pregnant sentences had effect in inducing more cordial feelings between
the executive and representatives of the people, but it was a work of
time. Governor Hunter's home in Perth Amboy was on a knoll south of
St. Peter's Church, commanding a fine view of the harbor, bay and
ocean. Here he often retired to obtain rest from the weighty cares which
his administration of the affairs of New York brought upon him. His
wife, the widow of Lord John Hay and daughter of Sir Thomas Orby,
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accompanied him to America. Her death in 1716, supplemented by
failing health and his private interests requiring his presence in London,
he left his government in 1719, never to return. On his arrival in
England he effected an exchange with William Burnet, taking an office
held by him in customs, and resigning in his favor the governments of
New York and New Jersey. The post in the customs he retained for
several years, but in 1727 was appointed governor of Jamaica. Age
began to wear on the governor, and in 1732 he retired from public life;
his death occurred in 1734. He had failings common to all mankind,
but there is abundant evidence of his possessing high integrity and other
qualities characterizing the gentleman; the success which attended his
administration, despite the unfavorable circumstances under which it
was carried on, is ample proof that he was intelligent, able and perse-
vering.
The successor of Governor Hunter derived his Christian name from
William, Prince of Orange, who stood sponsor for him at his baptism.
His education had been under the supervision of his father, the cele-
brated Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury, and author of the "History of
His Own Times," and Sir Isaac Newton. Young Burnet's education
was improved by travel and other advantages which had resulted in
a combination of studiousness and affability. The knowledge of men
and books made him a pleasant conversationalist, with a remarkable
degree of assimilation among those he was thrown in contact with. An
inordinate lover of books, he spent large sums in their acquisition, and
this, coupled with unfortunate investments in South Sea schemes, crip-
pled his income.
Governor Burnet received his appointment April 19, 1720, and
assumed the government of New York on September 17. A few days
afterwards he visited New Jersey and went through the usual forms of
proclamations at Perth Amboy and Burlington. The governor was of
large stature, combining with frank manners a dignified demeanor, his
countenance expressed intelligence, amiability and humor combined.
Governor Hunter, before the departure of his successor to America,
informed him of the acquaintance he had made with leading men of
New Jersey, which was extremely advantageous to him, as he entered
society in the colony with some knowledge of the character as well as
the social and political relations of the individuals composing it. The
impressions thus derived led him to look forward to frequent and longer
visits to New Jersey, and with that in view he purchased Hunter's resi-
dence in Perth Amboy.
Governor Burnet was averse to leaving the middle colonies, but on
the accession of George H., a place had to be made for a court sycophant.
He was appointed governor of Massachusetts, but, independent of all
private considerations, the habits and customs of the people of Massa-
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PROPRIETARY AND COLONIAL GOVERNORS 43
chusetts Bay were not so consonant with his own as those he had been
familiar with for eight years. The mandate had, however, gone forth
and he gracefully retired. He reached Boston on July 12, 1728, but his
administration of affairs was of short duration, his death occurring Sep-
tember 7, 1729.
The new governor of New York and New Jersey was John Mont-
gomerie, a native of Scotland. He was bred a soldier, but after being a
member of Parliament decided to enter upon the career of a courtier.
He became groom of the bedchamber to then Prince of Wales, after-
wards George II. On the accession of his patron to the throne, he
received, April 15, 1728, the appointment of the governorship of New
York and New Jersey. Governor Montgomerie, though a person of
good character, was dull intellectually, and was modestly conscious of
his deficiencies, therefore he had no controversies with the legislatures.
They reciprocated by granting him supplies which they persistently
refused to do for several of his predecessors. His administration was
evidently cut short by his death, July i, 1731, by smallpox, then raging
in New York
Lewis Morris became acting governor of New Jersey ad interim,
serving until the arrival of the newly appointed governor, William
Cosby. There were prospects of a popular administration at the outset
of the new executive's government. Governor Cosby was a strict mili-
tary disciplinarian, a colonel in the British army, of an arbitrary and
haughty disposition, and his act of keeping the same Assembly for six
years without dissolution made him very unpopular. His death occurred
May 10, 1736, while still an incumbent of the executive chair
At the death of Governor Cosby, the government of New Jersey
devolved on John Anderson, the president of the council, but he too
died in less than three weeks and was succeeded by the next eldest
councillor, John Hamilton. The new executive was a son of Andrew
Hamilton, governor under the proprietaries, and was born in Scotland.
He first appeared in public life as one of Governor Hunter's council in
1713, and also served in the same position during the administrations
of Governors Burnet, Montgomerie and Cosby. He continued to admin-
ister the government until the summer of 1738, when he was relieved
by the appointment of Lewis Morris as governor of New Jersey, inde-
pendent of New York. Colonel Hamilton, by which title he was known,
tradition states possessed a high and overbearing temper, which in
connection with domestic trials rendered his declining years, invalid as
he was, a period of great distress and unhappiness. He resided at Perth
Amboy in a spacious dwelling overlooking the broad bay formed by
the junction of the Raritan river and the Sound with Sandy Hook inlet.
His administration of the affairs of the colony was notable for two
events — ^the granting of the first charter to the College of New Jersey,
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and the aid the colony gave towards the Canadian Expedition in the
French and Indian Wars.
Lewis Morris, the first royal governor of New Jersey independent
of New York, was an American product He was the son of Richard
Morris, an officer in Cromwell's army, who emigrated from England
to the West Indies and afterwards came to New York, purchasing three
thousand acres, a part of which became Morrisania. Here the governor
was born in 1671 ; he studied law, and at the age of twenty-one became
a judge of the Superior Court of New York and New Jersey. He became
a member of the governor's council, and bitterly opposed Lord Corn-
bury. As a member of the Assembly he was the author of the complaint
against his lordship which was formulated by that body, and he in
person presented it to Queen Anne. It was mainly through his endeav-
ors that the division was eflFected between New York and New Jersey in
1738, and he became governor of the latter, holding the office until his
death at Kingsbury, New Jersey, May 21, 1746. Colonel Hamilton again
became invested with the chief authority, occasioned by the vacancy due
to the death of Governor Morris, but he had for a long time been very
infirm, and before the close of the year he also died, and was succeeded
by the next oldest councillor, John Reading.
The vacancy caused by the death of Governor Morris was filled by
the appointment of Jonathan Belcher. His predecessor in office resided
in Trenton, New Jersey, Governor Belcher chose Elizabethtown as his
place of abode, it offering more attractions than Perth Amboy. The
newly appointed executive by birth was a New Englander, his grand-
father, Andrew Belcher, being on record as early as 1646 at Cambridge,
Massachusetts. His father, a second Andrew, was a provincial counselor,
a man of wealth. At Cambridge, on January 8, 1682, the governor was
born, spending his early life among surroundings of wealth and culture.
A graduate of Harvard College, he sailed for Europe and spent six years
amidst the court life of the Electorate of Hanover, where he made the
acquaintance of the future George I. of England. Retiring to New Eng-
land, he became engaged in mercantile trade, and in 1729 was sent to
England as the agent of the Massachusetts Colony. He returned to Bos-
ton the following year with a commission appointing him governor of
Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Governor Belcher m his early life was not bred to the ways ot
economy, therefore in his manhood days he spent money with a prodigal
hand and an elegant liberality. A man of society and of the world, he
loved intrigue, and he attempted to instill into politics some of the
methods of trade. This brought him into contention with the Legisla-
ture of Massachusetts ; his insistence for a fixed salary as governor was
opposed by the people. This difference of opinion was submitted to the
British courts and the governor was fully vindicated. He then was
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PROPRIETARY AND COLONIAL GOVERNORS 45
oflFered the appointment of governor for New Jersey, which he accepted
in 1747, landing at Perth Amboy from the British man-of-war "Scar-
borough" on the morning of August 8 of that year. Governor Belcher
maintained a successful administration for a decade of years, which
was terminated by his death at Elizabethtown, August 31, 1757. He was
a benevolent patron of the College of New Jersey, and to that institution
he left his extensive library.
The next governor of New Jersey was Sir Francis Bernard, educated
at Oxford University. At the time of his appointment he was engaged
in the profession of law in London. He landed at Perth Amboy from
His Majesty's ship "Terrible," June 14, 1758. His administration was
of short duration, but received the warm approbation of the people of
New Jersey. He was transferred to become governor of Massachusetts,
and left Perth Amboy, where he had resided during the term of his
office, in the month of July, 1760, for his new assignment.
Thomas Boone, appointed to succeed Governor Bernard, reached
Perth Amboy by land from New York, July 3, 1760. The ensuing day
the oath of office was administered and his commission was published
with the usual formalities. There was nothing important in the matter
of legislation during Governor Boone's brief term. On June 18, 1761, it
was announced in New York that Governor Boone had been on April
14, 1761, appointed to the chief authority in the province of South
Carolina.
His successor, Josiah Hardy, arrived at New York on His Majesty's
ship "Alcide," October 22, 1761, and he was met seven days later on his
landing at Elizabethtown Point on his way to Perth Amboy by Governor
Booth, Lord Stirling, the members of the council, gentlemen and magis-
trates of the borough of Elizabethtown, with a military escort com-
manded by Captains Terrill and Parker. Though the governor met
the legislature at four different sessions, but little of any important
legislation was passed. Owing to some differences arising between
his superiors in England relative to the appointment of judges, he was
recalled in 1763 and gave place to William Franklin, the last of the
colonial governors of New Jersey.
The birth of this last royal governor of New Jersey is shrouded in
mystery; that it took place somewhere in the province of Pennsylvania
is undisputable. The year is commonly acknowledged to be 1731, and
that he was the only son, and illegitimate at that, of the noted patriot,
Benjamin Franklin, is an established fact. Of his maternal parentage
nothing is known ; whether he received a mother's care and love is not
a matter of record. The sage philosopher in writing of his son in 1750
says, "Will is now nineteen years of age, a tall, proper youth, and much
of a beau. He acquired a habit of idleness in the expedition, but beg^ins
of late to apply himself to business, and I hope will become an indus-
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46 MIDDLESEX
trious man. He imagined his father had got enough for him, but I
assured him that I intend to spend what little I have for myself, if it
please God that I live long enough ; and as he by no means wants acute-
ness, he can see by my going on that I mean to be as good as my word."
The expedition alluded to was one or more campaigns in which the
younger Franklin served in the Pennsylvania forces on the northern
frontiers before he was of age, rising from a subordinate position to the
rank of captain. On his return to Philadelphia from his military exploits,
he became in a great degree a companion and assistant of his father in
his various scientific and professional pursuits, and subsequently him-
self entered into official life. He acted as comptroller of the General
Post Office, also was clerk of the Provincial Assembly, and when his
father was sent to the frontiers of Pennsylvania to build forts accom-
panied him. Dr. Franklin was appointed in June, 1757, colonial agent
at London, and his son sailed with him for Europe.
Young Franklin on his arrival in London entered upon the study of
law in the Middle Temple, and was called to the bar in 1758. His travels
with his father through England, Scotland, Flanders and Holland, gave
him the opportunity of improving his mental and personal attainments
which such favorable circumstances naturally afforded. Like his father,
his society was courted by men of the highest literary and scientific
acquirements, therefore he could not help to imbibe in such environments
a taste for similar pursuits, and we find that when the University of
Oxford conferred upon his talented father the honorary degree of Doctor
of Laws for great proficiency in the natural sciences, the son was thought
worthy of that of Master of Arts for having distinguished himself in the
same branches of knowledge.
It was in August, 1762, that he was appointed through the influence
of Lord Bute, without any solicitation on the part of his father, governor
of New Jersey. He had previously undergone a close examination by
Lord Halifax, Minister of American Affairs, who deemed it advisable
on account of his colonial birth and youth, he at that time being only
thirty years of age. Governor Franklin arrived with his bride. Miss
Elizabeth Downs, at the Delaware river, in February, 1763, and arrived
at Perth Amboy on the 24th. He first took lodgings at Burlington,
and finally took up his permanent residence there until October, 1774,
when he removed to Perth Amboy. Almost immediately after his
entrance upon his duties in New Jersey, the attitude of the British min-
istry towards the colonies began to excite the people. Governor Franklin
was favorably disposed towards the colonies as long as no direct oppo-
sition to the authority of Parliament was manifested. He was visited by
his father in 1775, who zealously strove to draw him over to the side
of the colonies ; their conversations at times exhibited a degree of warmth
not favorable to continued harmonious intercourse, but each failed to
convince the other of the impropriety of the course he was pursuing.
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PROPRIETARY AND COLONIAL GOVERNORS 47
The son, however, followed his father's advice in avoiding duplicity,
for he did not hesitate to give manifest tokens of his determination to
rise or fall with the royal cause.
The contentions between the royal governor and provincial con-
vention or congress continued with exasperating bitterness until finally
that body decreed that no further payments should be made on account
of salary to the governor, and an order was issued for his arrest. A
detachment of militia under the command of Colonel (afterwards Gen-
eral) Heard made the arrest at Perth Amboy, June 17, 1776, Governor
Franklin being presented with a parole which he indignantly refused to
sign ; a guard of sixty men was placed around the executive's residence
until communication could be had with the convention. That body
informed the Continental Congress of the arrest, asking what disposition
to make of the offender. Under date of June 24, 1776, the Continental
Congress placed William Franklin under charge of Governor Trumbull
of Connecticut, to be treated agreeable to the resolutions of Congress
respecting prisoners. Governor Trumbull accepted the charge, and
Franklin was quartered in the house of Captain Ebenezer Grant, at
East Windsor. Here he remained a prisoner two years and four months,
an exchange being at that time effected, and he arrived in New York,
November i, 1778. He was a resident of New York until in August,
1782, he sailed for England. In consideration of the losses he had been
subjected to, £1,800 was granted to him by the British government,
and he was allowed in addition a yearly pension of £800. His death
occurred November 17, 1813.
Thus ends a mortal career whose birth placed a bar sinister on the
Franklin coat-of-arms. He must have inherited from his maternal
ancestor his opposition to the rights of the people, for self-government
and independence were advocated by his sire. That he was of American
birth and descent makes his professed loyalty to the King more offen-
sive to the average American reader. Benjamin West, in his picture
representing the "Reception of the American Royalists by Great Britain
in the year 1783," makes Franklin one of the prominent personages at
the head of a group of figures, and in a description of the picture he is
mentioned as having "preserved his fidelity and loyalty to his sovereign
from the commencement to the conclusion of the contest, notwithstand-
ing powerful incitements to the contrary." Thus his disloyalty to
American independence is flouted to the world. How different in con-
trast to that otiier arch traitor, Benedict Arnold, who a few days before
his death, clothing himself in his old Continental uniform, on his bended
knees asked God's forgiveness for ever wearing any other. Thus has
been imperfectly sketched the career of the proprietaries and colonial
governors, from the little that is now known respecting the characters,
habits, attainments or adventures of the incumbents of the executive
office of the province of New Jersey.
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THE r^i-V.V YC.HK
PHBLi: LIBRARY
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RARITAN BAY
RAILROAD BRIDGE
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CHAPTER VII.
y THE ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY.
\The Dutch at New Netherland took the first steps for civil organiza-
tion of East Jersey. They established in 1661 the jurisdiction of the
incorporated town of Bergen over the outlying and contiguous planta-
tions on the west side of the Hudson rivery The courts of Bergen under
the supreme authority of the director-gej^ral and council of Manhattan
were sufficient to meet all requirements of local administration over so
limited a district of country, and were continued for more than a decade
after the English came into possession of the country.
In the meantime a sufficient population had settled about Newark
bay, along the Passaic, the Raritan, and southward to the Highlands
of the Navesink, to foreshadow in outline at least the necessity for
erecting four original counties in East Jersey. The Legislature of
1675 enacted that Elizabethtown and Newark make a county; Bergen
and adjacent plantations be a county ; Woodbridge and Piscataqua be a
county ; and that the two towns, Middletown and Shrewsbury at Nave-
sink, make a county, ^^y this act the incipient counties were neither
named nor their limits defined. Seven years later a more definite divi-
sion was made, ^he General Assembly of East Jersey convened at
Elizabethtown in 1682 passed an act erecting the counties of Bergen,
Essex, Middlesex and Monmoutl^ The preamble for the erection of
these counties states the followijffg: "Having taken into consideration
the necessity of dividing the province into respective counties for the
better governing and settling of courts in the same," etc.
<^iddlesex county by the legislative act of 1682 was to begin from
the^parting line between Essex county and Woodbridge, containing
Woodbridge and Piscataway and all the plantations on both sides of
the Raritan river as far as the Delaware river eastward, extending south-
west to the division line of the province, and northwest to the utmost
bounds of the county^
By an act of th^Assembly in March, 1688, Somerset county was
incorporated. The territory thus taken from Middlesex county was its
western border lands, the Raritan river forming part of the boundary
lines. The reason given for this division was that those engaged in
husbandry and manuring of lands in the valley of the uppermost part
of the Raritan river were forced by different ways and methods from
the other farmers and inhabitants of the county of Middlesex, because
of the frequent floods that carry away their fences on their meadows,
the only available land they have, and so by consequence their interest
is divided from the other inhabitants of the county. This division,
lfld-4
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so MIDDLESEX
however, was merely nominal, and in 1709-10, by an act of the Assembly,
Somerset was continued subjected to the jurisdiction of the courts and
officers of Middlesex county for the want of a competent number of
inhabitants to hold court and for juries. Courts continued to be held
in Middlesex for the two counties as late as 1720, when Somerset county
courts were duly organized.
There have been a number of acts passed by the Legislature in ref-
erence to regulating the boundary lines of Middlesex county. On January
31, 1709-10, an act was passed determining the boundaries of the sev-
eral counties. This act was supplemented March 15, 1713, setting the
boundaries between Somerset, Middlesex and Monmouth counties, in
which the line between Somerset and Middlesex should begin with the
road crossing the Raritan at Inian's Ferry, thence to run along a road
leading to the falls of the Delaware as far as the partition line between
East and West Jersey.
In accordance with this act, Somerset county extended down one
side of the present Albany street. New Brunswick. This, however, by
an act passed November 24, 1790, was altered, the boundary line between
the two counties being established by the lands and tenements north-
ward of the Raritan river to be annexed to Somerset county, while those
south of the river were to become a part of Middlesex county. This
act made the middle of the main road from New Brunswick to Trenton
the boundary line between Middlesex and Somerset counties.
The easterly bounds of Middlesex county, by an act passed November
28, 1822, were declared to be the middle or midway of the waters of the
Staten Island Sound, adjoining same, to the middle of the channel of
the waters of the Sound, with the waters of Raritan river, thence to
the eastward of the flat or shoal which extends from South Amboy to
the mouth of Whale creek, the beginning of the bounds of the counties
of Middlesex and Monmouth.
A part of Middlesex with a portion of the counties of Hunterdon
and Burlington was taken by an act dated February 22, 1838, to form the
county of Mercer.
By acts of the Legislature, the western boundary of Middlesex
county in the towns of North Brunswick and South Brunswick were
made to conform in 1855 and 1858 with a turnpike road extending from
Little Rocky Hill to New Brunswick. A part of the township of Wood-
bridge, by an act of February 16, i860, within the limits of the city of
Rahway, was annexed to Union county, and April 5, 1871, by another
act a portion of Plainfield in Union county was annexed to the township
of Piscataway in Middlesex county.
^The first act dividing the newly organized counties into townships
wa^ passed in 1693. The division in Middlesex county was into the
corporated town of Woodbridge, the townships of Perth Amboy, then
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ORGANIZATION OF COUNTY 51
known as Perth, and Piscataway. These townships were not definitely
defined in relation to their boundaries, and were merely settlements in
a wide area of territory. Soon after this, nearly contemporary with the
organization of its sister townships, North Brunswick, South Amboy
and South Brunswick were invested with township honors.) These
three townships embraced all of the present area of Middles^county
south of the Raritan river, the township of South Amboy consisting of
the eastern portion of that territory which was bounded by the seacoast
and Monmouth county ; west of the South river, near the geographical
center of the present county, was the northeast boundary line of the
town of North Brunswick, which extended westward to the division
line of Somerset county. Its southerly line, which divided it from the
newly erected town of South Brunswick, located in the southwest corner
of the present county limits, was very irregular in shape.
The civil divisions of the county, consisting of these five townships
and the cities of New Brunswick and Perth Amboy, remained undis-
turbed until February 23, 1838, when the southermost portion of the town
of South Amboy, about eight miles long and six wide, was erected by
the Legislature into the township of Monroe. At this period the county
had obtained a population of 21,894 outside of New Brunswick, divided
as follows: At Perth Amboy, 1303; in the township of South Amboy,
the population was 1,825; the village of the same name, situated on a
safe and deep harbor on Raritan bay at the mouth of the Raritan river,
twelve miles below New Brunswick, was one of the terminals of the
Camden & Amboy railroad. The village contained an academy and
about twenty-five dwellings. Seven miles southwest of South Amboy,
on the line of the railroad, was Old Bridge, on the South river, a hamlet
of about thirty-five dwellings. From this point large quantities of pine
and oak wood were shipped to New York City. In the same township
was Jacksonville, at the head of Cheesequake creek, where were a Baptist
and Methodist church, and about fifteen dwellings.
The township of North Brunswick was about eight miles long and
seven miles broad, with a population of 5,860. The city of New Bruns-
wick, which was incorporated in 1784, lay partly in the town of North
Brunswick and partly in the township of Franklin in Somerset county.
The shores of the Raritan river at this point were connected by a toll-
bridge which was built in 181 1 at the expense of $86,687, which had
become dilapidated, therefore of little use ; and by the railroad bridge of
the New Jersey railroad, which passed through the city, forming a part
of the chain of railroads from New York to Philadelphia, Baltimore and
Washington. New Brunswick had a population of 8,693, and was the
seat of Rutgers College; it contained eight churches, two female semi-
naries, one bank, about one hundred and twenty stores, and eight hun-
dred dwellings. Four miles southeast of New Brunswick was the village
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52 MIDDLESEX
of Washington, at the confluence of the South river with the, Raritan.
It contained about fifty dwellings, and in summer steamers plied between
there and New York with produce of the county.
The township of South Brunswick, about eight miles long and seven
miles broad, had a population of 2,797. ^^ ^^e northeast comer of the
township, at the intersection of the Delaware and Raritan canal with
the New York and Philadelphia turnpike, was the village of Kingston.
In the stagecoach days, Kingston, being on the great thoroughfare
between New York and the South, was a favorite stopping place. In
olden times in front of Withington's Inn and the Vantilburgh Tavern,
there were seen halted at the same time nearly fifty stages loaded with
about four hundred passengers. Vantilburgh's Tavern was long known
as a favorite stopping place for Washington and the governors of New
Jersey in passing from the eastern towns to the State capital. It was
at this village that Washington and his army, the day of the battle of
Princeton, eluded the enemy in pursuit by filing off the main road to
the left of the church, while the British continued on the New Brunswick
road, thinking the American army had gone to that place to destroy
their winter stores. Cranbury, partly in Monroe township, was a village
built on a single street, containing two Presbyterian churches, two
academies, seventy-three dwellings, and about six hundred inhabitants.
Crossroads and Plainsborough were hamlets, the former containing two
taverns, two stores, and about fifteen dwellings; the latter, a store, a
tavern, gristmill and a few dwellings.
Monroe, the newly organized township, was about eight miles long
and six miles wide, with a population of 2453. Spotswood, on the rail-
road, ten miles from South Amboy, was a village containing three stores,
a grist and saw mill, two churches and fifty-two dwellings.
The population of Piscataway was 2,828, and its incorporated limits
were about eight miles long and six miles wide. The village of New
Market, formerly Quibblestown, situated towards the northwest comer
of the township, was a post-town of some fifteen or twenty houses.
Piscataway, about three miles east of New Brunswick, was originally
an old Indian village ; in early days it was a seat of justice for Middlesex
and Somerset counties ; it contained a church and about a dozen dwell-
ings. The small village of Raritan Landing, two miles above New
Brunswick, where there was a bridge across the Raritan river, contained
several stores and from twenty-five to thirty dwellings.
The ancient township of Woodbridge had an area of ten miles in
breadth east and west and nine miles north and south, having a popula-
tion of 4,821. Metuchen and Uniontown, on the line of the New Jersey
railroad, contained a few dwellings. Rahway, on the border line of
Essex county, was a flourishing village. Woodbridge, nine miles north-
east from New Bmnswick, contained three churches, an academy, a
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ORGANIZATION OF COUNTY 53
grist and saw mill, an extensive pottery, and fifty dwellings. Bonham-
town was a small gathering of dwellings.
Thus we review in retrospect a small portion of a vast republic. Four
score of years have rolled away. The manners and customs of the
descendants of those worthy pioneers who made the forests bloom into
cultivated fields, have gone to their last resting place. Their sons and
daughters in most cases have strayed away from the old homesteads
to the more diverting and alluring life in the busy marts of the country,
their places taken by the aliens of other lands who left the vexatious
tribulations of their native homes in the Old World for betterment and
success in the New World.
In the place of the worthy pioneer traveling the dirt highway with
his horse and wagon» is heard the buzz and whiz of the ever-destructive
automobile propelled by the refined product of nature's oil, speeding
over the macadamized way with lightning rapidity. The humming of
a motor is brought to our ears, and as we raise our eyes skyward,
instead of viewing and hearing the song and notes of a feathered visitor,
we are greeted with the fast-disappearing aeroplane.
There were no further sub-divisions of Middlesex county until Feb-
ruary 28, i860, when East Brunswick was incorporated from parts of the
townships North Brunswick and Monroe. On the same day, by an act of
the Assembly, New Brunswick was separated from North Brunswick,
which had been known since 1803 as the North Ward of New Bruns-
wick. The next township to be organized was Madison, from South
Amboy, March 3, 1869. The following year, on March 17, Raritan
became a township, its territory being taken from Woodbridge and
Piscataway. The township of Cranbury was formed from a part of
South Brunswick and Monroe, March 7, 1872, and twelve hundred and
fifty acres of the township of South Amboy was incorporated April 6,
1876, as the township of SayreviUe.
The first courthouse and jail in Middlesex county was erected at
Perth Amboy. In the proprietary minutes under date of May 14, 1685,
it was ordered that a town house be built, stipulating it should be
erected on a lot owned by one Thomas Warne. The location of this lot
is uncertain, but it was probably one running through from High street
to Water street, in the new town of Perth. In April, 1696, £20 was
voted to Mr. Warne to release this lot again. However, previous to
this, Thomas Gordon was directed to fit up one of the old houses of
the proprietaries for a courthouse. Whether this was occupied under
the royal provincial government is not known.
An act was passed in 1713 for building and repairing jails and court-
houses in the province, and Amboy was designated as the site for the
jail and courthouse of Middlesex county. The building erected in con-
formity with this act stood on the northeast corner of High street and
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54 MIDDLESEX
the public square, and served for both tries and tried, the prison being
under the same roof with the courthouse. It was also used for legis-
lative purposes from Governor Hunter's to Governor Franklin's admin-
istrations inclusive. It was destroyed by fire in 1765-66, accidentally,
it is said, in the act providing for the erection of another. The second
courthouse was erected June 28, 1766, on land donated by the inhabitants
of Perth Amboy. It was a two-story building adorned with a cupola
or belfry. This structure was used until the transfer of the county
seat to New Brunswick, afterwards became a school house, but eventu-
ally passed into private hands. The jail authorized by the same act was
finished at an expense of £200 in 1767. It was also a two-story building
containing rooms for the keeper's family, in addition to those for pris-
oners. The city authorities of Perth Amboy ordered its destruction in
1826.
In the early part of January, 1793, a matter of local interest was the
question "where shall our new courthouse be situated?" The change
of the county seat of Middlesex county had been sanctioned by the
Legislature, and the two rivals for the honor and profit were Perth
Amboy and New Brunswick. The former claimed for a matter of
economy the courthouse should be erected in that city, which already
had a suitable building, that it was a free port of entry, and that they
were willing to transport officials, witnesses, and those interested in
matters brought before the court, free of charge across the ferry, from
Perth Amboy to South Amboy. New Brunswick was not behind hand
in its offer, claiming to be the largest town, on the line of a stage route,
the center of a prosperous agricultural country; that the business done
far exceeded Perth Amboy, and on the question of finance they were
willing to contribute £300 for the building of a new courthouse in that
city. The election was held March 10, 1793, and though there were
2,540 ballots cast, as late as nine days afterwards only 1,900 of these had
been counted, of which New Brunswick had 980 and Perth Amboy 900;
this seems, however, to have settled the contest, as New Brunswick
became the county seat.
The common council of New Brunswick, April 29, 1793, assessed
the inhabitants of the city for the £300 promised for the construction
of a new courthouse. A number of the citizens who were residents of
Somerset county refused to pay the taxes thus levied, and in the case
of one delinquent his goods were attached. The case was carried to
the Supreme Court, and at a session of this body at the November term,
in 1796. Chief Justice Kinsey delivered the opinion of the court. The
judgment of the court below was affirmed, that the corporation ordinance
and tax were illegal, that its effect was to compel inhabitants of the
Somerset side of the city, who had to build and maintain a courthouse
of their own, to assist in defraying the expenses of a public building
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ORGANIZATION OF COUNTY 55
in another county. The Chief Justice reiterates, "for these reasons
alone, without entering into the peculiar circumstances which in the
case furnish strong suspicions of intentional and premeditated decep-
tions in this double-faced transaction, we are of the opinion that the vote
of the 2nd of February, 1793, imposing a tax of £300 upon the citizens
of New Brunswick for purposes set forth, was illegal and void, and of
consequence the assessment of it; the ordinance directing the time of
payment, the duplicates and warrants of distress, having no valid foun-
dation, are all likewise void."
The decision of the Supreme Court did not, however, interfere with
New Brunswick becoming the county seat. A court of common pleas
had been held in that city since 1778, and £100 was expended on the
Barracks, situated on the west side of George street near Paterson street,
where soldiers were quartered during the Revolution. The barracks
were destroyed by fire in 1794, and in that year the "Union" or Old City
Hall, corner of Neilson and Bayard streets, was built and used for a
courthouse, while a jail was erected on the site of the Bayard street
public school. This building was utilized till about 1840, when the
present courthouse was built, the sum of $30,000 being obtained from
the State, borrowed from the "Surplus Revenue Fund" to aid in its
completion. The present building has been remodeled and renovated at
different times, making a commodious and substantial building for the
transaction of the official business of the county.
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CHAPTER VIII.
EAST AND WEST JERSEY.
Lord Berkeley disposed of his interests in the proprietorship of
New Jersey to John Fenwick and Edward Byllinge, both members of
the Society of Friends. Fenwick in 1675 established a Quaker settle-
ment at Salem, near the Delaware river, and claimed authority as chief
proprietor over all parts of New Jersey southwest of a line drawn from
Little Egg Harbor to a point on the Delaware river in the forty-first
degree of north latitude. For a number of years the province was
divided into East Jersey, with its capital at Perth Amboy; and West
Jersey, having as its capital Burlington.
The two Quaker proprietors of West Jersey quarreled about their
respective rights; the tenets of their sect forbade them to go to law
for an adjustment of their diflFerences, and William Pcnn, the founder
of Pennsylvania, was called into the matter as an arbitrator. This was
the first introduction of that prominent member of the Society of Friends
in the affairs of America. Byllinge, being burdened with debts, assigned
his interests to his creditors, and the greater part of the right and title
in West Jersey fell into the hands of William Penn, Gawen Lawrie,
and Nicholas Lucai^. The matter of ownership of the lands in the
province of New Jersey became complicated. Lord Berkeley had sold
his individual half of the colony, and negotiations were entered into
between Sir George Carteret on the one side, and Penn, Lawrie, Fen-
wick and Lucas, on the other side, to divide the province into two great
portions. Finally on July i, 1676, (O. S.) a deed was executed. East
Jersey was to include all that portion lying northeast of a straight drawn
line from Little Egg Harbor to the northermost boundary of the prov-
ince on the Delaware river, and West Jersey was to consist of all the
rest of the province granted by the Duke of York. West Jersey was
divided into one hundred parts, ten of which were set aside for Fenwick,
the balance to be disposed of for the benefit of Byllinge's creditors.
Disputes having arisen between Governor Carteret and Giovernor
Andros of New York, who claimed political jurisdiction over the prov-
ince of New Jersey in the name of the Duke of York, Carteret declined
to negotiate with Governor Andros, and the Assembly of New Jersey
reluctantly accepted the Duke's laws. Complaints were laid before the
Duke and the case was referred to the Duke's commissioners, who on
legal advice being taken, decided that the original grant reserved no jur-
isdiction and that none could be rightfully claimed. Therefore, the Duke
sigfned documents relinquishing all rights over East and West Jersey.
The heirs of Sir George Carteret in 1682 sold their rights in East
Jersey to a society of Quakers under the leadership of William Penn,
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who had been encouraged by their success in West Jersey. The prog-
ress of the province had been rapid, a smelting furnace and forge were
in operation making good iron ; horses, beef, pork, butter, cheese, pipe
staves, breads, flour, wheat, barley, rye, and Indian corn, were exported
to Barbados, Jamaica and other adjacent islands, also to Portugal, Spain,
the Canaries, etc. ; whale oil, whale fins, beaver, mink, raccoon and martin
furs were sent to England.
The proprietor interests acquired by the Society of Friends induced
members of that sect to emigrate to the province. Monthly meetings
were held in East Jersey as early as 1686 at Perth Amboy and Wood-
bridge. Their meeting houses were, however, demolished about the
Revolutionary times, and in their old burying grounds in Woodbridge
sleep the first of the sect in East Jersey. This burial ground in 1784
was sold to the Methodist Episcopal church.
Commissioners to determine the direction of the boundary line
between East and West Jersey were not appointed until ten years after
the deed of partition was drawn up. They were William Emly of
Amwell, West Jersey, and John Reid, the deputy surveyor-general of
the eastern portion of the province. Reid was a resident of the town
of Perth, and was sent to America by the proprietaries in 1683 21s a
surveyor. It is said he was a gardener in his native country; he was
repeatedly a member of the Assembly, and in 1702 was appointed sur-
veyor-general. He subsequently removed to Monmouth county and
lived on a tract known as "Hortensia," on the east branch of the Hop
river.
The commissioners did not seem to be governed at all by the deed
of partition, but determined the direction of the line according to their
own arbitrary pleasure. The deputy governor and several of the pro-
prietors of West Jersey, however, acquiesced in their award and placed
themselves under bonds in the sum of £5,000 to abide by the final
decision. The next step was the actual running out of the line. The
East Jersey proprietors and officials became anxious and appointed
commissioners to wait upon the authorities of West Jersey to remind
them of their contract and hurry their tardy steps so to have the line
run as speedily as possible. In 1687 the line as far as a
point on the south branch of the Raritan was surveyed to the present
boundary line between Somerset and Hunterdon counties, there-
fore, not to the Delaware river. To meet the conditions of the original
agreement, a surveyor, George Keith, was furnished by the East Jersey
authorities. Keith was a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, an eminent
Quaker, although originally a Scotch Presbyterian. He became
acquainted with the leading Scotch proprietaries in his native land by
teaching a son of Governor Barclay at Theobalds, Scotland. The pro-
prietaries appointed him in 1684 surveyor-general, and he reached the
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EAST AND WEST JERSEY 59
province the following year. He was induced by the Quakers of Phila-
delphia in 1689 to leave Freehold, New Jersey, of which settlement he
was the founder, to accept the superintendence of a school at that place.
He did not, however, remain in this humble situation, but became among
the Quakers a public speaker in their religious assemblies. Possessing
quick natural talents improved by considerable literary attainments,
he was acute in argument, ready and able in logical disputations and
discussions of distinction in theological matters, but having great self-
esteem he was apt to indulge in an overbearing disposition. His pecu-
liarities of mind and temperament naturally made him assume the post
of leader, and through his talents and energy he gathered around him
followers in whom he inculcated an increased attention to plainness of
garb and language and other points of discipline. With these religious
tenets he connected the political doctrines of the abandonment of all
forcible measures to uphold secular or worldly government, and the
emancipation of negroes after a reasonable term of service.
These advanced doctrines caused a serious division in the Society
of Friends, and as they did not meet with the general acceptance Keith
expected, he became captious and indulged in censure and reproach,
declaring only those that associated with him were true Quakers. Keith
was charged with exercising an overbearing temper, also an unchristian
disposition of mind in disparaging many of the Society of Friends, and
his conduct was publicly denounced. His appeal to the general meeting
of Friends at Burlington, as well as to the yearly meeting at London,
where he appeared in person, and where his behavior was such as led
to approval of the proceedings against him, brought his authority and
influence to an end. Retaining a number of adherents in England, Keith
abjured the doctrines of the Quakers and became a zealous clergyman of
the Established Church of England. After officiating some time in
the mother country, in 1702 he returned to America as a missionary
from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. He preached in
all the colonies from Massachusetts to North Carolina, his labors being
very successful in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, where a
large number of Quakers became converted to the doctrines and disci-
pline of the Church of England. He returned to England and received
a benefice in Sussex, where he continued until his death to vmte against
the doctrines of the Quakers.
The partition line as run by Keith was not approved by some of the
West Jersey proprietors, though the award subsequently received the
sanction and approval of William Penn. Governor Coxe, of West Jersey^
a just and public- spirited man, above the imputation of mere self-inter-
est, claimed that East Jersey was getting the lion's share of the award.
He openly repudiated the Emly and Reid award, and soon brought all
the West Jersey proprietors to his way of thinking, with the exception
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of William Penn. The East Jersey proprietors began to take up lands
at various places near the pretended line of partition, which Governor
Coxe protested against, and ordered the surveyor of West Jersey to
take up in the name pf that province all lands west of the Millstone and
Raritan rivers. This would include lands within three miles of Perth
Amboy, the town of Piscataway, and Inian's Ferry.
The controversy over the lands continued until a compromise was
effected by Governor Coxe and Barclay in London, September 5, 1688,
each binding himself to fulfill the covenant in the sum of £5,000. The
compromise partition line extended from the southwestern terminus of
the Keith line to the north branch of the Raritan (called Pepack branch),
a distance of about sixty miles; from there up the north branch to near
its head, following what is now the boundary line between Somerset
and Morris counties and coinciding with that line at the point where it
strikes the Passaic river; thence it follows the Passaic, first southward
and then northward to the mouth of Pequannock, and after ascending
that stream to latitude 41**, turned directly east, running parallel to the
Hudson river. The boundary line between New York and New Jersey
had not at this time been finally determined, and was not for nearly
seventy five years afterwards.
The compromise line continued to be the accepted partition line
between the two provinces until 1743. An act was passed by the Legis-
lature in 1 719 appointing a commission to ascertain and determine the
northern station point described in the g^nt of the Duke of York.
According to the quintipartite agreement, the divisional line from the
east side of Little Egg Harbor was to terminate on the Delaware river
in latitude 41** 40'. This commission decided that at the Fishkill, the
northermost branch of the Delaware river, on its east bank, at an Indian
village railed Casheightouch, was the north partition or division point
between the provinces of New York and New Jersey, likewise between
the eastern and western division of the latter province. This report
and action of the commissioners and surveyors was fully concurred in,
and ratified by the proprietors of the two New Jersey provinces. Though
the West Jersey proprietors were anxious to run this new partition
line, they lacked the necessary funds to pay their share of the expense.
After many years of delay the East Jersey proprietors in 1743 assumed
the responsibility of the expense and employed John Lawrence to run
the division line. In running the partition line, Lawrence started on
the east side of Little Egg Harbor and ran a random line to Cocheton ;
he then found the station point established in 1719, and taking his
bearings, returned, making his corrections and marking the true line
southward to the place of beginning. The line trees in the random line
were marked with three notches on two sides. The side trees were
marked with one blaze looking toward the lines. The mile trees were
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EAST AND WEST JERSEY 6i
marked respectively with the number of each mile and with three
notches on four sides.
The establishment of the new partition line between the eastern
and western divisions of New Jersey was to unsettle many titles of
lands given by the respective proprietors. Many grants made by the
West Jersey proprietors were found to be in East Jersey and vice versa.
It was, however, mutually agreed that in such instances the equivalent
should be given to the owners of unsurveyed land, on the other side of
the partition line.
The quintipartite division, by which name it became known, was
accepted and acquiesced in by the proprietors of both the eastern and
western sections, until the time of the settlement in 1772 of the boun-
dary line between New Jersey and New York. Three years after the
establishment of the New Jersey and New York boundary line, the
proprietors of the western division commenced to claim that the tripar-
tite indenture agreed upon by the commissioners of New York and
New Jersey expressly stipulated the north station point. The present
boundary line between New York and New Jersey established the
northwest boundary point at Carpenter's Point on the Delaware,
thirty miles south of Cocheton, thereby over two hundred thousand
acres of land were taken from New Jersey. Hence they alleged that at
whatever point the boundary line between New York and New Jersey
terminated on the Delaware river, the partition line should terminate
there also. This was the origfination of the proposed line of 1775, and
in that year the proprietors of West Jersey petitioned the authorities
of New Jersey that the partition line might be changed. This on
account of the Revolutionary War was never acted upon by the Legis-
lature. A petition of similar import and intent was presented to the
Legislature in October, 1782. The proprietors of East Jersey remon-
strated against this petition, claiming it would be more consonant to
reason and equity, since by the late determination and decree of the
boundary line between New York and New Jersey the proprietors of
East Jersey should demand of the proprietors of West Jersey one hun-
dred thousand acres, being one-half of the quantity cut off from their
territory by the New York boundary line. The quantities of land accord-
ing to the lines of partition fixed and proposed were as follows: The
angle or gore which East Jersey lost in the controversy with New
York, amounted to 210,000 acres; this left in what is now the State
of New Jersey, 4,375,970 acres, the half of which is 2,187,985 acres. If
the Keith line extended to the Delaware river was to be the line of
partition, East Jersey would have contained 2,214,930 acres. West Jersey
2,161,040 acres, the average being in favor of East Jersey to the extent
of 53,890 acres. By the Lawrence line. West Jersey contained 2,689,680
acres, while East Jersey contained 1,686,290 acres, a difference of
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62 MIDDLESEX
1.003,390 acres in favor of West Jersey. By the proposed line of 1775,
West Jersey would have contained 3,119,260 acres, while the number
of acres allotted to East Jersey would have been 1,256,710 acres, the
difference in favor of West Jersey being 1,862,550 acres. There is no
doubt, however, that there was more barren and unprofitable land in
West Jersey than in the eastern division. The proprietors of West
Jersey had divided their entire holdings amongst themselves except
the rights of minors and people abroad, the amount in 1765 being esti-
mated at 2,625,000 acres. East Jersey at this time was supposed to
have located nearly 468,000 acres of good land, and 96,000 of pine lands.
The rights in East Jersey sold for twenty shillings an acre for lands
valuable for cultivation, and ten shillings an acre for pine lands, while
in West Jersey the rights for a hundred acres could be obtained for
from one hundred to one hundred and twenty shillings.
This closes the history of the partition division lines, which was
the important controversy in the province of New Jersey in the
eighteenth century. Reconveyance of land titles, the establishment of
county and town boundary lines, caused the demarcation between East
and West Jersey to become an instance of the past.
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CHAPTER IX.
THE EARLY COURTS.
The first County Court of Middlesex county was held at Piscataway,
June 19, 1683, Samuel Dennis presiding as president or judge, assisted
by five assistants, namely: Edward Slater, James Giles, Captain John
Bishop, Samuel Hall and Benjamin Hall. The clerk of the court was
John Pike, Jr., and in accordance with the minutes there was but a single
case tried at the town.
The second court was held at Woodbridge, September 18, 1683, and
thereafter courts were held alternately at Piscataway and Woodbridge,
until June 18, 1688, when a session was held for the first time at Amboy.
From that time until 1699 the courts were held alternately at these
three places. The minutes of the courts between 1699 and 1708 are
defective, but in the latter year a Court of Sessions for the counties
of Middlesex and Somerset was held at Perth Amboy, and for a long
time after this date courts were held at that city only.
Stocks and whipping posts were used for punishment for crimes;
criminal cases of theft were punished by fines double the value of the
goods stolen. This method of dispensing justice was no doubt due to
the fact that there were no jails for incarceration of the prisoners. The
first grand jury by the minutes was empanelled September 16, 1684, at
Woodbridge. John English, a servant of Hopewell Hull, of Piscataway,
having met his death by drowning in the Raritan river, May 25, 1685,
the coroner of the county, Samuel Hull, of Woodbridge, empanelled
a coroner's jury and held an inquest. The jurors after due deliberation,
rendered a verdict that water was the only cause of the late lamented
servant's death.
The minutes of the court show that an indictment was presented by
the grand jury against Captain John Bishop and Samuel Dennis for
being the principals in a duel, but we have no evidence what punish-
ment was inflicted on these disturbers of the peace of the community.
Owing to the troubles incident to the close of the proprietary govern-
ment, the courts appear not to have been regularly held. The last
County Court convened at Perth Amboy on the third Tuesday of Sep-
tember, 1699. The first Court of Sessions for the county of Middlesex
under the Queen Anne or the provincial government, of which there
is any record, though royal commissions had been issued as early as
1703, was held at Perth Amboy on the second Tuesday of September,
1708, Peter Sonmans, Esq., presiding as judge; Cornelius Longfield,
John Tuneson and John Drake, justices ; and John Bishop Clark, clerk.
Scarcely a session of the court was held but suits, petty and vexatious,
oftentimes malignant, were brought by neighbors against each other.
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64 MIDDLESEX
while fornication, adultery and rape were a few among the many grosser
crimes that were passed upon.
The first Court of Common Pleas to be held in New Brunswick was
in January, 1778, and in the minutes of the court July 21, 1778, there is
the first mention of a courthouse at that place, the barracks located on
King street (now George) between Paterson and Bayard streets inclu-
sive being used as a courthouse and jail for the county. The barrack
buildings were built of stone, being one hundred feet front by sixty feet
in depth.
Each town was obliged by law as early as 1668 to keep an "ordinary"
or tavern for relief and entertainment of strangers, under a penalty of
forty shillings for each month's neglect; the innkeepers alone were
permitted to retail liquors in quantities less than two gallons. This
quantity was however reduced in 1677 to one gallon, and in 1683 the
innkeepers were debarred the privilege of recovering debts in excess of
five shillings. The Assembly, however, authorized the keepers of "ordi-
naries" to retail strong liquors by the quart. These laws led to great
exorbitances and drunkenness in several of the towns, occasioned . by
persons selling liquor in private houses. These abuses in 1692 led to
the establishment of an excise law by the Legislature, which was, how-
ever, repealed the following year, and the licensing of retailers confined
to the governor. Fines were inflicted for drunkenness, the penalty being
one shilling, two shillings, two shillings and sixpence, for the first three
oflFenses, with corporal punishment should the oflFender be unable to pay
the fines ; if unruly, he was put in the stocks until he became sober. The
fines not being excessive, did not cause the check of intemperance, and
in 1682 oflFenders were treated more rigorously; each offense incurred
a fine of five shillings, and if not paid, the stocks received a tenant for
six hours; constables for not performing their duties were fined ten
shillings for each offense. The increase of punishment seems to have
stimulated the vice, which may have been attributed to the removal of
restrictions on the sale of liquors in small quantities.
The tavern rates were fixed by law, and as late as 1748, with the
standard of money at eight shillings to the ounce, the following were
the established prices:
Shillings Pence
Hot meal of meat, etc 10
Cold meal of meat, etc 7
Lodging, per night 4
Rtrni by the gill 4
Brandy by the gill 6
Wine by the quart 2 8
Strong beer by the quart 5
Cider by the quart 4
Metheglin by the quart i 6
The observance of the Lord's Day was strictly enforced ; all servile
work was to be abstained from, also unlawful recreations and unneces-
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THE EARLY COURTS 65
sary traveling; disorderly conduct was punishable by confinement in
the stocks, fines, imprisonment or whippings. Under the administra-
tions of the royal governors many of these early prohibitions were
modified, the use of ardent spirits began to be considered necessary.
Keepers of public houses were not to allow "tippling on the Lord's Day,
except for necessary refreshments," The taking of God's name in vain
was punishable by a shilling fine for each offense. This law was amended
by a special act in 1682, the penalty being increased to two shillings and
six pence; if not paid, the offender was to be placed in the stocks or
whipped.
All prizes, stage-plays, games, masques, revels, bull-baitings, and
cock-fights, which excited the people to rudeness, cruelty, looseness and
irreligion, were discouraged, and punishable by courts of justice in
accordance with the nature of the offense. The curfew laws were
enforced ; night-walkers or revellers after nine o'clock were to be secured
by the constable till morning, and unless excused, to be bound over to
appear at court. The resistance to lawful authority, by word or action,
or the expression of disrespectful language referring to those in office,
was made punishable either by fine, corporal punishment, and, previous
to 1682, by banishment from the province. Liars were included as
penal offenders; a second offense was punishable by a fine of twenty
shillings, and if not paid, the culprit received corporal punishment or
was put in the stocks. There was no established Thanksgiving days,
like those introduced into New England in an early day. The General
Assembly in 1676 designated the second Wednesday of November "a
day of thanksgiving for God's mercy in preserving and continuing peace
in the midst of wars around and about the province." "In consideration
of the great deliverance of our nation from a horrid plot of the Papists
to murder the King and destroy all the Protestants," a day of thanks-
giving was celebrated November 26, 1679. ^7 ^ proclamation of the
governor, June 11, 1696, a day was appointed to celebrate by prayers
the discovery of "an unsuccessful barbarous conspiracy of Papists
against the life of William IIL" These three are all the thangsgiving
days on record previous to the surrender of the government by the
proprietors. Under the royal governors the first thanksgiving day there
is any record of was November 28, 1750; a second one was October 24,
1760, to return thanks for successes in Canada; and a third was pro-
claimed August 25, 1763. The only fast day of which there is any
notice extant previous to the Revolution, was April 25, 1760.
In the early part of the eighteenth century lotteries were prevalent
throughout the colonies, schemes were introduced into New Jersey, and
the Legislature in 1730 passed an act prohibiting both lotteries and
raffling, as their frequency had given opportunity for ill-minded persons
to cheat and defraud the honest inhabitants of the province. This act
Mid-S
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referred more particularly to lotteries for the disposal of "goods, wares
and merchandise." Those who were inimical to its provisions or who
were blind to their deleterious influences, appear to have thought lot-
teries for money not affected by it, and in 1748 there was hardly a town
that did not have some scheme on foot. At New Brunswick there was
a lottery to relieve one Peter Cochran from imprisonment for debt;
another at the same place was to complete a church and build a parson-
age, the capital prize being £100. Johannes Ten Brook advertised at
Raritan Landing in Piscataway township, a lottery, the prizes being
real estate; another of the same kind was advertised by Peter Bodine,
the prizes being 195 lots located at Raritan Landing, which was described
"as a market for the most plentiful wheat country of its bigness in
America " In the estimation of the Legislature "the ends did not sanc-
tify the means," and towards the close of 1748 an act was passed depre-
cating the increase of lotteries and their attendant vices, "playing of
cards and dice and other gaming for lucre or gain," and prohibiting the
erection of any lottery within the province under heavy penalties. This
act was evaded by having the lotteries drawn outside of the province.
In 1758 the provincial government authorized a public lottery to raise
money to purchase certain lands from the Indians. This example was
immediately seized upon as giving a license to the practice again to an
unlimited extent. In the year 1759 a lottery to raise £1,500 for the
benefit of a church in New Brunswick was started. This lottery was
to be drawn on "Biles Island," and the highest prize was £1,000. The
Legislature again interposed in 1760 by an act to prevent "the sale of
tickets in lotteries erected outside of the province, and to more eflfectually
prevent gaming;" but with great inconsistency by the same act revived
three public lotteries for the same object as that of 1758. Schemes
appear to have decreased in some measures for a few years, but notwith-
standing legislative enactments, means were found to evade the designs
of the law-makers, and lotteries continued to exist more or less numerous
until the Revolution.
The introduction of slavery in New Jersey was coeval with its
settlement. There were no preventive measures adopted, and it is
doubtful with the then prevailing views relative to the slave trade that
any legal measures could have been devised for its prohibition. The
Concessions of 1664-65 offered as an inducement to each freeman who
would emigrate to Nova Cesarea one hundred and fifty acres for himself,
and the same quantity of land for each able man-servant, and seventy-
five acres for every weaker servant or slave over fourteen years of age
that might accompany him. The quantity of land for the weaker servant
or slave decreased in the three ensuing years, and in the third year the
emigrant was entitled to only thirty acres of land for such dependents.
Whether any slaves were actually brought into New Jersey under
the Concessions is doubtful, but if so they must have been few in
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THE EARLY COURTS 67
numbers, and after the government passed into the hands of subsequent
proprietors it is uncertain if any were introduced. The East Jersey
records do not designate any of the servants brought over as slaves,
and in all real estate deeds the word is not made use of, which it would
have been if there were slaves to receive a less quantity of land than
other servants. Thus the proprietors cannot be charged with the
encouragement of the importation of slaves at the period of settlement,
although there is no doubt of the existence of slavery before the transfer
of the province to the Crown. As early as 1696 the Quakers of New
Jersey united with those of Pennsylvania to recommend to their own
sect the propriety of no longer employing slaves, or at least to cease
from further importation of them ; this example does not appear to have
been followed by other denominations of Christians.
Her Majesty Queen Anne's instructions to the first royal governor
of New York and New Jersey, Lord Cornbury, was to stop any move-
ments that interfered with the traffic in slaves, the Royal African Com-
pany being particularly brought to the notice of the governor as
deserving encouragement, and that the province should have a constant
and sufficient supply of merchantable negroes at moderate rates in
money or commodities. At Perth Amboy there were barracks in which
imported slaves were immured, and in almost every settlement the labor
of the families with a very few exceptions was exclusively performed
by black slaves. As late as 1776 it is stated there was but one household
in Perth Amboy that was served by hired free white domestics.
An act was passed by the Legislature in March, 1714, which provided
for the trial of negroes for murder and other capital offenses before three
or more justices and five principal freeholders of the country, the pains of
death to be suffered in such manner as the aggravation or enormity of
their crimes in the judgment of the said justices and freeholders shall
merit and require; although the mode of trial was changed in 1768, even
then the manner in which death should be inflicted was not specified.
There were several executions under this act; a negro man named
Prince in 1729 was burned alive at Perth Amboy for the murder of
William Cook, a white man. Perth Amboy was again, July 5, 1750,
the scene of another of these judicial murders ; the victims, two negroes,
were burned alive for the murder of their mistress, Mrs. Obadiah Ayres.
The execution took place in a ravine on the north side of the town, which
became known afterwards as "Negro Gully," and was witnessed by the
entire black population of the town, who were summoned from their
homes, being obliged to be present in order that they might be deterred
from the commission of like offenses. At a later period a negro was
hung a short distance out of Perth Amboy for theft.
There were two or three risings amongst the negroes that disturbed
the peace of the province. One occurred in the vicinity of the Raritan
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in 1734, and as a punishment several of the ringleaders were hung. The
design of the insurrection was to obtain their freedom by a general mas-
sacre, and then join the Indians in the interest of the French. An insur-
rection was anticipated in 1772, but was prevented by due precautionary
measures.
The number of slaves in New Jersey in 1800 was 12,422, in the next
decade the number had decreased to 10,85 1» ^^^ ^^ ^^^ y^^ i^ Wood-
bridge, with a population of 4,247, there were 230 slaves; Piscataway,
with a population of 2475, had 251 slaves. The Legislature on February
24, 1820, passed an act which gave freedom to every child bom of slave
parents subsequent to July 4, 1804, the males on arriving at twenty-five
years of age, the females at twenty-one years of age. Under this act,
slavery entirely disappeared from the State of New Jersey in the towns
mentioned above, in Woodbridge, for instance, in 1840, while the free
colored persons numbered 351 in a population of 4,821, the slaves enu-
merated were only seven. In Piscataway in the same year, the census
reports record a population of 2,828, of which there were 298 free colored
persons and only three slaves ; at the taking of the next census a decade
later, the slave element of each of these towns had entirely disappeared.
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CHAPTER X.
STUDY OP THE SOIL.
The red shale drift in Middlesex county is a part of the great northern
drift of the glacial epoch which covers nearly all of the northern ter-
ritory of New Jersey. This portion is a part of the southern end of the
great sheet covering the continent. The city of Perth Amboy stands
on the southermost point of this particular drift bank. The red shale
material, the predominating and characteristic constituent in the mass
of drift, gives character to the surface of the country, the red shale
cropping out in places. The soil has that peculiar purplish-red color
which forms a marked ccmtrast to the sandy soil towards the west and
south. The forests in this drift area are quite different from those grown
in the sandy gravelly loam surfaces. There are less chestnut and pine
trees, which largely make up the woodlands south of the Raritan river.
The general outline of the drift in the country is from Staten
Island Sound on the east to the Raritan river on the south, thence west
to near Bonhamtown to the northerly limits of the country. There is
no shale or sandstone to be found south of the Raritan river and east
of the South river. The former at Perth Amboy divides the two surface
formations. This drift is, however, of yellow sand and gravel at Ford's
Corner and several points between that place and Perth Amboy. The
matrix of this drift consists of red shale in the form of small fragments
and a fine red earth. In this are found pebbles, cobblestones, boulders,
and other rock masses. Fragments of red and bluish sandstone and
trap-rocks are abundant. The surface of much of the area is remarkably
uneven. The hills are irregular in outline and of uneven slope, sink-
holes and small ponds are numerous. These irregularities of the sur-
face are a prominent feature in the higher grounds west and southwest
of Woodbridge. The thickness of the red shale drift does not exceed
twenty feet, though in some places it reaches nearly one hundred feet.
No organic remains have been discovered in this drift, although it
has been largely excavated at several points.
The yellow sand and gravel includes the layers which form the sur-
face materials or superficial covering of the clay district outside the
boundaries of the red shale or northern drift which overlays it. The
thickness of this surface formation varies from point to point even within
the limits of a single clay bank. The materials of this sand and gravel
formation are always stratified. The lines or layers of stratification
sometimes are horizontal, but frequently they are wavy or gently undu-
lating. The inclination of these layers is not uniform, the prevailing
dip being towards the northwest. The sand and gravel generally alter-
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nate, but somewhat irregularly, and in some places there are thick beds
of sand without any lines of gravel ; frequently a thin gravel stratum a
few inches thick is seen lying immediately upon the clay. The sand is
mostly of a fine white to a yellowish white granular quartz mass, which
in some layers is mixed with earthy matter. On the north side of the
Raritan there is less sand and a larger proportion of earth and gravel.
The yellow sands are largely quartz in the form of grains and pebbles of
white to yellowish transparent translucent chalcedonic varieties. Some-
times black grains of hornblende and very small grains of magnetite
occur with the quartz ; in some places these grains are cemented together
by oxide of iron and make a stony mass. There is an absence of any
quantities of spar and mica, and in the vicinity of Piscataway angular
formation of red shale is quite abundant in the formation. Wherever
the white sands of this formation constitute the surface, the soil is light
and poor, and the timber is mainly yellow pine, chestnut and scrubby
oak. The gravel has more earth in it and makes a firmer and better
soil. The whole area of this sand and gravel formation is inferior to
the red shale drift north of the Raritan river. This formation has been
at times described as a drift, and must not be confounded with a glacial
drift, as its origin is due to water. Its stratification, lines and layers
indicate that flowing water, not ice, was the moving power.
The tidal meadows constitute the more recent alluvial formation, the
red shale drift, sand or gravel, being under the meadow mud. The
boundary lines of the meadows are easily traced, the alluvium resting
unconformably upon the older formations. At a few points valuable
clay has been found a few feet beneath the surface of the tide meadows,
but the expense of development has retarded the utilization of only
that near the upland border. Investigation has proved that the clay
beds are continuous underneath the meadows and the Raritan river,
therefore it is evident that they were deposited before the river cut its
present channel to the sea.
The clay district of Middlesex county has been a source of great
wealth and enterprise, and a factor in the industrial world. This district
is confined to the extreme southerly part and ranging easterly, in the
township of Woodbridge, to Staten Island Sound, thence it runs west
and southwest into the township of Raritan to about a half mile north
of Bonhamtown, thence in a southwesterly direction to Lawrence brook
in the township of East Brunswick, which is its western limit. The
southern boundary is not plainly marked, but runs in the direction of
Jacksonville in Madison township to the Monmouth county line. On
the northwest the clay district joins that of the red clay and sandstone
and the frequent outcrops of the latter mark the location of the northern
boundary easy and accurate. Towards the west the boundary is entirely
arbitrary, but owing to geological formation is hard to determine, and
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STUDY OF THE SOIL 71
it is possible that it extends across the State in the direction of the
Delaware river and beyond. In the flat and sandy country south of
the South river and stretching east as far as Jacksonville, the yellow
sand and gravel drift reaches down to tide level, so this must be con-
sidered the limit of the district where clay can be possibly dug, rather
than the end of the beds. From Jacksonville to the bay shore the out-
cropping clay marl defines the southern margin of the clay district.
The area of the clay district in Middlesex county which has been devel-
oped is in the neighborhood of seventy-five square miles, and it is
estimated that in New Jersey and Staten Island the belt of country
underlaid by the plastic clays includes an area of three hundred and
twenty square miles, with the possibility that much other valuable clay
land may in the future be profitably worked.
Although the clay district borders on the tide waters of Staten
Island Sound and Raritan Bay, and is intersected by the tide waters of
the Raritan and South rivers, it is not like the general Atlantic slope
of the country, of a flat surface. On the contrary, the surface is uneven ;
north of the Raritan river the elevation exceeds thirty feet, fully one-
third of it is over one hundred feet, and forty feet above tide water level.
The materials of the clay formation are earthy, and no rocky or
stony layers or beds are found within it. Sometimes the sand and
gravel are cemented with oxide of iron, so as to form a rough building
stone ; also, concretions of clay and oxide of iron of a stony hardness are
found in some of the clay beds, but the layers of sand and clay of which
the formation is made are all earthy and so soft that they can be dug
with a spade. The whole formation is composed of a series of fire-clay,
potter's clay, brick clay, sand and lignite. The thickness of a series of
strata is nearly three hundred and fifty feet running parallel to each
other, inclining towards the southeast with an average dip of about
forty-five feet per mile.
The agricultural district of the country is under a high state of
cultivation, the drainage being supplied by extensive waterways that
traverse its surface. The soil is good tillable land, abounding in differ-
ent places in gravel and containing much sandy and clayey loam. The
surface is generally rolling and yields abundant crops of hay, cereals and
vegetables, interspersed with orchards.
The mineral products of the country, if any, have not been developed.
In the year 1748-50 several lumps of virgin copper from five to thirty
pounds in weight were plowed up in a field within a quarter of a mile
of New Brunswick. This discovery induced Elias Boudinot to take
a lease of the land for ninety-nine years. He with several other gentle-
men formed a partnership in 1751 and opened a pit about two hundred
to three hundred yards from the Raritan. About fifteen feet deep the
prospectors came upon a vein of bluish stone about two feet thick,
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MIDDLESEX
embedded between two loose bodies of red rock, covered with a sheet
of pure virgin copper about the thickness of gold leaf. This bluish stone
was filled with sparks of copper resembling filings, and here and there
were large lumps of copper from five to thirty pounds in weight. They
followed this vein for almost thirty feet, when, the pit filling with water,
it became too expensive to work. A stamping mill was erected, the
bluish stone was reduced to a powder washed in large tubs, resulting in
the securing of tons of purest popper which was sent to England without
passing through fire. The cost of labor was, however, too high to
make the venture profitable. Sheets of copper three feet square on the
average, having a thickness of a sixteenth of an inch, were taken from
between the rocks within four feet of the surface. At the depth of fifty
or sixty feet a body of solid ore was found in the midst of the bluish
vein between rocks of flinty spar, but it was however worked out in a
few days. Work on the mine was abandoned, though the vein at that
time showed richer developments.
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CHAPTER XI.
TRANSPORTATION.
The American Indians were endowed with the instincts of the engi-
neer. The communicating paths they made were direct and skillfully
selected for their combination of all the natural advantages that were
required. If their paths crossed a stream, it was at the easiest and safest
fording place, if they traversed a swamp, it was where there was per-
manent or solid ground ; the hills were crossed at the easiest grade ; in
fact, they combined economy of labor and perseverance in every essential
form. The Indian paths determined the location and course of the roads
that were afterwards established by the early colonists.
The most notable path established by the Indians in New Jersey was
known as the **Minisink Path." Its starting point was near the Nave-
sink Hills, at the mouth of the Shrewsbury river or inlet in Monmouth
county, thence running along the southern shore of Raritan bay in a
northerly direction through Middletown to the Raritan river in Mid-
dlesex county, crossing at Kent's Neck near Crab Island about three miles
above Perth Amboy. After crossing the Raritan, the path ran north-
west to the headwaters of the Rahway river, reaching a point about
six miles west of Elizabethtown Point, thence it ran a short distance due
north, and for the remainder of its route north and northwest, passing
over the mountains to the west of Spring^eld and Newark, traversing
the whole of Morris and Essex counties to the Minisink Island in the
Delaware river below Port Jervis, New York. The distance thus cov-
ered was about seventy-five miles. These were the favorite hunting
grounds of the Minisinks. These grounds extended throughout the
entire valley lying north of the Blue Mountains in Pennsylvania,
stretching from the Wind Gap in that province to near the Hudson
river in New York. This path the Indians located, making their peri-
odical visits to the seacoast during the season of the oyster, clam and
periwinkles, to obtain their shells for the manufacture of wampum.
Besides this extensive path there were many others. One ran from
Perth Amboy to New Brunswick, where it crossed the Raritan, proceed-
ing westward through Six-Mile Run. There was also the "Old Bur-
lington Path" from Shrewsbury southerly through Monmouth county,
which afterwards became a part of the highway known as the "Lower
Road."
The earliest description of a journey between. the Raritan and Dela-
ware rivers is obtained from an original Dutch manuscript in the
possession of the Long Island Historical Society. Jaspar Dankers and
Peter Sluyter on December 29, 1679, started from the Falls of the Dela-
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74 MIDDLESEX
ware (now Trenton) to cross the country eastward to Piscataway.
There was at this time no settlement between these points. They found
the country deluged with water, obliterating the Indian path and over-
flooding the flats, valleys, morasses, enlarging the waterways, and pene-
trating even to the high solid ground. They traveled about twenty-five
miles the first day, and reaching a large body of water they encountered
Indians, and arranged with the chief to row them across the river in a
canoe. The river they crossed was a portion of the present Raritan.
The voyagers arrived at dusk at the end of their second day's journey
at the house of Cornelius Van Langevelt, a Dutch trader, located where
the branch united with the Raritan river, and thence flowed to the
Achter Kull. This was not far from the present site of New Brunswick.
The two travelers on the first day of the year 1680 left Van Langevelt's
trading post in a canoe for Elizabethtown Point on their way to New
Amsterdam.
The first roads traversing New Jersey made by the European settlers
were laid by the Dutch to connect New Amsterdam with Fort Nassau
on the Delaware river. They must have been constructed soon after
the building of Fort Nassau, as the intercourse between the settlements
was principally by letters, they being dispatched across the bay to
Elizabethtown, thence carried by runners, generally friendly natives.*
Old documents state that Peter Jegow kept a house of entertainment
for travelers as early as 1668, about eight or nine miles below Delaware
Falls, between what is now Burlington, New Jersey, and Bristol, Penn-
sylvania. The statement is made that at this time there was no settle*
ment at Perth Amboy or near it on Staten Island, nor on the south side
of the Raritan; there were no ferries nor were there any roads lower
down the Raritan river than where New Brunswick now stands, which
was the principal line of travel. Therefore there is no doubt that the
first road that traversed New Jersey passed from New Amsterdam
through the bays and rivers by means of a ferry to a point afterwards
Elizabethtown, thence through the towns afterward known as Wood-
bridge and Piscataway, finally ending at what afterwards was known as
Inian's Ferry. At this latter point two roads were formed. One of
these, originally called the 'TJpper Road," later known as the "King's
Highway," passed through the present sites of Kingston and Princeton
to Trenton, where it crossed the Delaware river, continuing into the
present State of Pennsylvania to Bristol, eventually to Philadelphia.
The other road, known in early times as the "Lower Road," diverged
from the "Upper Road" several miles west of the present site of New
Brunswick. It afterwards was shifted within the present limits of that
city. After leaving the "Upper Road" it went southerly and westerly
through the township of Cranbury to Burlington, where it crossed the
Delaware at Bristol and rejoined the "Upper Road."
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TRANSPORTATION 75
In the eighties of the seventeenth century, the only established road
of importance in New Jersey was the Dutch thoroughfare established
by Governor Stuyvesant. Attempts were made in 1683 to divert the
travel from the old route to Perth Amboy. At this time Perth Amboy
was a place of great expectations. It was a seaport having a magnifi-
cent harbor, the seat of the proprietary government, and it was fondly
hoped it would become the great maritime center of America. In
response to the wishes and instructions of the proprietors. Governor
Gawen Lawrie in 1683 projected a ferry across the Raritan at Radford
(now South Amboy) to connect with a road through Spotswood to
Burlington, for the purpose of connecting Perth Town and Burlington.
A boat was run between Perth and New York. The road thus estab-
lished was sometimes known as the "Lawrie Road," and was located
south of the "Lower Road," and probably intersected it before reaching
Burlington.
The effort to divert the travel from the old road proved ineflfective,
the King's Highway accommodating the bulk of the internal intercourse
of the province, and the establishment of Inian's Ferry on the present
site of New Brunswick made it the most popular route for travelers;
though even as late as 1716, when it had been established a score of
years, no provision was made by the Assembly to pass over the ferry
anything but "horse and man and foot passengers." From 1684 ^^
1686 numerous roads were projected and opened, some of them of con-
siderable importance, some of them remaining in use to the present
day. During the period from 1705 to 1713 no less than thirty-five dif-
ferent roads were viewed, opened and established within the limits of
Middlesex county. The only public conveyance, however, previous to
the surrender of the province by the proprietors to the crown, was on the
Amboy road, granted to one Dellaman, by the authority of Governor
Hamilton, to drive a wagon for the transportation of goods and pas-
sengers in connection with a packet boat operated between Perth and
New York. There was no set time or fare for the trips, they being made
irregularly. The next road of public importance in Middlesex county
was what was known as "The Road up the Raritan." It branched from
the main highway at Piscataway, running to Bound Brook, thence to
Somerset county. It was one of the early factors along the Raritan for
pioneer plantations. It did not follow the present highway, but passed
from Piscataway in a northwesterly direction west of Metuchen, through
Quibbletown (now New Market), thence to Bound Brook, where it
proceeded west to what was then known as Howell's Ferry (now Lam-
bertville). The remaining roads that were laid out in the country in
the early days and for many years afterwards, were almost entirely local
in their character, intending to connect the clustered neighborhoods with
the important towns of Woodbridge, Piscataway, Perth Amboy and
New Brunswick.
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76 MIDDLESEX
The Legislature of 1716 seems to have given more attention to the
condition of public highways. An act was passed, combining all high-
ways that were six rods wide which had been laid out in pursuance of
previous laws, and annulling all others. The system of laying out of
roads was remodelled, rates of ferriage established, improvements rec-
ommended. The ferries in existence at this period were: One from
Perth Amboy to Staten Island, opened by Captain Billop; one from
Perth Amboy to South Amboy, called Redford's Ferry ; the latter place
was also connected with Staten Island, and those already mentioned on
the Raritan river. The ferries across the Raritan and the Sound at
Perth Amboy were granted in 1719 to Greorge Willocks, who erected a
house for the accommodation of the traveling public. In 1728 Gabriel
Steele received a patent for a ferry from South Amboy to Staten Island,
touching at Perth Amboy. These ferries continued to be of essential
service until traveling and transportation fell into other and more con-
venient channels.
In the first decade of the eighteenth century there was a public agita-
tion claiming that a monopoly existed in the transportation of freight and
passengers on the road from Burlington to Perth Amboy. Grievances
were laid before the Assembly, but nothing was done until 1716, when
passenger and freight rates were established. This act of the Legislature
stimulated competition, and in 1732-33 Solomon Smith and James Moore,
of Burlington, advertised that they intended to run two stage wagons
between Burlington and Perth Amboy once every week, and oftener if
business warranted it. The following year Arthur Brown operated a
boat between New York and South River, New Jersey, freighting goods
as well as passengers from the latter point to Bordentown on the Dela-
ware river, where they were transferred to a boat for Philadelphia.
William Atlee and Joseph Yeats operated in 1742 a stage line between
Trenton and New Brunswick, which was purchased in 1744 by William
Wilson, of New Brunswick, who notified the public he would make trips
twice a week, leaving Trenton on Mondays and Thursdays, and New
Brunswick on Tuesdays and Fridays. A new line of stages was estab-
lished in 1750 by Daniel O'Brien, a resident of Perth Amboy. This enter-
prising Irish citizen informed the public that he had a "stageboat" well
fitted for the purpose, which, "wind and weather permitting," would
leave New York every Wednesday for the ferry at Perth Amboy. The
following day a stage wagon would be ready to take passengers to Bor-
dentown, where his "stageboat" would receive and carry them, and the
freight to Philadelphia. The rates of charges were the same as charged
i»ia New Brunswick and Trenton, and the passage was to be made in
forty-eight hours. In March, 1752, trips were made twice a week. The
success of this line of stages led to the formation of an opposing line.
The passengers by this new line embarked on a boat at Philadelphia tor
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TRANSPORTATION yy
Burlington, thence by stage wagon through Cranbury to the Perth
Amboy ferry. There a palatial passage-boat, equipped with a commo-
dious cabin fitted up with a tea table and sundry other conveniences,
was to carry the passengers to New York. A stage line between Phila-
delphia and New York was instituted via Perth Amboy and Trenton in
1756 by John Butler, to cover the distance in three days. This was
followed about ten years later by another line that left twice a week from
each terminal, using a covered Jersey wagon without springs to cover
the distance in three days, at a cost to the passengers of twopence a
mile. A third line was established in 1766, the vehicle used having
seats on springs. The journey required two days in summer and three
days in winter; the cost of transportation to the traveler for a through
passage was twenty shillings. This line connected with the Blazing Star
ferry on the Sound, below Elizabethtown.
A great improvement was made in stage-coaching in New Jersey
when John Mersereau in 1772 established what became known as the
"flying machine" route between Philadelphia and New York, the time
of passage being fixed at one day and a half. This, however, proved to
be too short, and two days became the scheduled time. His machines,
which combined all of the improvements known at that date, had some
semblance of a coach. Mersereau established another line of stages
leaving Paulus Hook every Tuesday and Friday morning at sunrise,
proceeding as far as Princeton; there the passengers were exchanged
for those that had arrived from Philadelphia. The rates of passage
were thirty shillings for inside accommodations, outside twenty shill-
ings, each passenger being allowed fourteen pounds of baggage, in
excess of that amount to pay two pence a pound. By these two lines of
stages leaving on diflferent days, there was opportunity of leaving the
terminal points of the route four times a week. During the Revolution,
all regular lines of transportation were broken up, and when reestab-
lished at the close of the war there was a retrograde movement both as to
speed and comfort.
The first public packet was established by Governor Lawrie in 1684
to carry freight as well as passengers. These packets supplied the
demand of travelers until the establishment of the land -routes between
Philadelphia and New York, and when Perth Amboy ceased to be one
of the terminals. The packets continued to run for the transportation
of merchandise, but became less numerous until about 1775, when there
was but one sailing ship making the trip between Perth Amboy and
New York.
The use of runners and messengers for sending messages and dis-
patches dates back many centuries. To Andrew Hamilton, proprietary
governor of New Jersey, belongs the honor of devising a scheme by
which a postoffice was established. He inaugurated a general post-
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78 MIDDLESEX
office in Philadelphia on which he obtained a patent from the Crown
in the year 1694, and which, on receipt of an adequate remuneration, he
reconveyed to the government. It is presumed that the mails were
carried regularly either by riders or by the wagon already mentioned.
Governor Hamilton for some years acted as Postmaster-General over
the infant establishment. The progress in extension of the mail routes
was, however, slow, there being but few south of Philadelphia as late as
1732. In 1754 the postal affairs of the colonies were placed in the hands
of Doctor Franklin, when a marked improvement took place, though
for some time the only offices in New Jersey were at Perth Amboy and
Burlington, they being on the direct route from New York to Philadel-
phia. As late as 1791 there were only six offices in New Jersey : Newark,
Elizabethtown, Bridgeton (Rahway), New Brunswick, Princeton and
Trenton; Perth Amboy and Burlington being then off the mail route.
The total receipts of these six offices in that year were $530, of which
sum the postmasters received $108.20. A postoffice was established at
Perth Amboy in 1793 ; others soon followed throughout the county.
At the opening of the nineteenth century, the agitation for the build-
ing of canals was prominent amongst the people; this, with the intro-
duction of steam as to navigation, was to revolutionize transportation
facilities. The Legislature of New Jersey in 1800 empowered the gov-
ernor of the State to incorporate a company to shorten the navigation
of Salem creek. The first waterway development of a national character
was the proposition to connect the largest cities in the nation by a canal.
The agitation for the Delaware and Raritan canal began about 1804,
and the New Jtr^ey Legislature of that year chartered the New Jersey
Navigation Company, which proposed to join the Delaware river with
Raritan bay. This effort, however, led to no direct results, and it was
not until 1824 that a private company was authorized to construct the
canal. A joint stock company was organized, the State of New Jersey
receiving $100,000 for the privilege of building the canal; the assent
of the State of Pennsylvania could not be obtained for the waters of
the Delaware river, for the project, and the premium received by the
State of New Jersey was returned to the company. The object of the
building of the canal was to connect the coal fields of Pennsylvania with
the eastern markets. There was, however, a healthy opposition to the
canal project, as the building of the railroad between New York and
Philadelphia was being agitated. The State Legislature of New Jersey
finally on February 4, 1830, passed an act incorporating the Delaware
and Raritan Canal Company, and on the same day by another act brought
into existence the Camden & Amboy Railroad Transportation Company.
The canal was to commence at the confluence of the Crosswicks
creek with the Delaware river at Bordentown, to run northeasterly to
Bound Brook, thence southeasterly following the valley of the Raritan
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TRANSPORTATION 79
river to New Brunswick, a distance of forty-three and one-half miles.
It was to be fifty feet in width and five feet deep, which was amended in
1831 to seventy-five feet in width and a depth of seven feet. In lieu of a
premium, the company was to pay the State eight cents for each pas-
senger and the same amount for each ton of freight transported. The
traffic was largely drawn from the coal regions of Pennsylvania, but its
usefulness as a competitor against railroad transportation became neg-
ligible in 1871, when the Pennsylvania Railroad Company acquired a
999-year lease of the property.
The era of steamboat transportation in Middlesex county was of
short duration. On the completion of the Camden & Amboy railroad,
Robert L. Stevens built three steamboats, the "Swan," "Thistle" and
"Independence," to connect with the railroad at the eastern terminus
at South Amboy, to convey passengers to and from New York. In
connection with his brothers, John L. and Edwin, they placed on the
Raritan many fine boats, among them the well known "Raritan," "John
Nelson," and others. The regular fare between New Brunswick and
Perth Amboy was twenty-five cents, but as soon as a competing line
was biiilt by James Bishop, who placed in commission the steamboat
"Antelope," a rivalry between the two lines reduced the fare to six and
one-quarter cents.
The multiplying of the railroads soon brought the outmost limits
of Middlesex county in touch with a common center; within its area
the lines of two great railroad systems traversed its surface. This, with
the development of the interurban lines of trolleys and jitneys, brings
the citizens of any portion of its limits within ready cbmmunication with
each other. The days of steamboating and coaching are at an end,
the whirling steam and electric conveyances annihilate space; inter-
course of communication travels with lightning rapidity, by the use of
the electricity of the air, the telegraph key, and the Word of the human
mouth transmitted by telephonic connections.
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THE NF.V; 'T* i<K
PUBLIC LIBRARY
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GILBERT STUART'S PORTRAIT OF WASHINGTON
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CHAPTER XII,
REVOLUTIONARY DAYS.
In the days antecedent to the Revolution, the inhabitants of Middle-
sex county were enjoying an era of prosperity and happiness. The
hardships of the pioneer settlers of the county had been overcome, and
their succeeding generations were living in a flourishing agricultural
district, dotted here and there with small villages.
The modes of transportation were limited, the country roads were
few and rugged. Journeys were mostly undertaken on horseback, vehi-
cles being confined to heavy lumbering wagons, chaises, and g^gs whose
bodies sank down between two high wheels on wooden springs. Their
homes were furnished with simple taste, the principal articles of fur-
niture even in the best ordered household were not numerous. Many
of the most costly were made of mahogany, white pine, walnut, cherry,
or red cedar, the latter being a prime favorite, were used in the construc-
tion of the high-backed bedsteads, chests, drawers, stands, tables and
buffets. A slawbank or slabank, a name derived from the Dutch, signi-
fying "sloop banck" or sleeping bench, took the place of our modern
folding-bed. It was simply a cupboard with folding doors, and con-
tained a bed. or more commonly a box attached to the wall by hinges
holding the bedding, which was folded up against the wall by day and
let down at night to serve as a bed. Occasionally it took the shape of
a bench or sofa to sit on during the day, opening on hinges to form a
bed by night. The housewife had her wheel for spinning wool, linen and
cotton, also her loom for weaving these into cloth for the varied uses
of the household. The people were respectably and comfortably clad, the
men adorning themselves in breeches of leather, buckskin, worsted,
homespun, stockinett, black and brown broadcloth, plush and velvet, for
the winter, and for summer, linen, cotton, nankin, white dimity and
drilling. Dress-coats, surtouts and great-coats were made of bearskins,
buckskins, homespun, denim, wilton, camlet, broadcloth, velvet and
sagatha, and a kind of serge. Cloaks and vests were made of these dif-
ferent woven materials; gloves were usually of leather, cotton, home-
spun and tow ; the stockings were knit of woolen, cotton and linen yam.
Boots and shoes were made of calfskin, with durable soles.
The apparel of women was still more varied, exhibiting their charac-
teristic love of gay colors and beautiful fabrics. The assortment was
endless, combining the useful with the ornamental. Bonnets and
hoods of beaver, satin and bright colored silks and velvets, cloaks of
broadcloth, white and black satin, black and blue velvet, and brilliant
scarlet cloth ; dresses and gowns made of boundless variety of material —
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82 MIDDLESEX
gloves knit of silk, also of leather ; stockings of linen, worsted and silk ;
with shoes of cloth, silk and leather. In table service, china was rare
as gold ; plates, platters, spoons, tea and coffee pots and tankards were
made of pewter, but so brilliantly polished as to rival the richest silver
in lustre. Pewter and copper were largely used in ornamentation, and
from them were made basins, ewers, pint and quart mugs, porringers,
ladles, tea and coffee kettles. There was but little white glassware in
use; wine glasses, salt-cellars, tumblers and punch goblets, as well as
china cups and saucers, were highly prized. Looking glasses and clocks
were only found in the homes of the wealthy. Stoves were not in gen-
eral use, wood, charcoal and turf being the only fuel, but there were
always fireplaces provided with dogs and andirons. In the kitchens the
huge caverns were garnished with a forest of chains and hooks, pots and
trammels swinging on iron cranes, the fires being fed with great logs
from four to six feet in length.
The comforts of life were not forgotten. The men of these days
were liberal providers as far as the creature comforts of food and drink
were concerned. In the cellars were stored barrels of pork and beef,
sides of bacon, carcasses of venison and mutton. Roasting pigs, ducks,
fowls, turkeys and geese, were raised in great abundance, while the
menu was often supplied with wild fowl, corn and beans. The water
course furnished shad and herring plentifully in their season, and were
laid down by the barrel and hogshead for winter use.
The farms produced wheat, rye, buckwheat, Indian corn, potatoes,
beans, turnips and other vegetables. From the orchards came a great
wealth of apples, cherries, peaches and pears. Every household was
supplied with butter, lard, eggs, molasses, sugar and honey, the last
being common, as every farmer had his hive or more of bees. The
common beverages were tea, coffee, cocoa and chocolate; the apples
furnished cider, while metheglin was made from the honey. Nor were
the stronger alcoholic drinks lacking; the hospitable host could offer
from his wine cellar to his guest or a tired traveler brandy, gin and rum,
in all their variety, besides cordials and wines of all kinds. Tobacco
smoked in pipe, and chewed, was a daily solace, while the gentility gen-
erally used snuff. Books were rare as rubies, but the Bible or a psalm
book was found in the most of families, and commonly constituted the
entire library. Thus we have briefly sketched the elysium of content-
ment that prevailed in Middlesex county, and that was soon to be visited
by the grim visage of war.
By the treaty of Paris, France surrendered Canada, and Spain Flor-
ida, to England, who thereby obtained sole control of the entire territory
in North America from the Atlantic ocean westward to the Mississippi
river. George III., who Green, in his "History of the English People,"
says "had a smaller mind than any English King before him save James
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REVOLUTIONARY DAYS 83
11./' was seated on the throne of Great Britain. The Mother Country
thought she had gained preeminence in renown and as the acknowledged
mistress of the seas. This success had been attained by vast expenditure
of moneys, and had saddled upon the country a debt amounting to
£140,000,000. It was but natural that the suggestion of Pitt, the then
prime minister, that some steps should be taken to obtain a revenue
from the colonies, was popular with the Crown and the people of Eng-
land. The colonies had also made sacrifices to rid themselves of the
French invaders and the scalping knife and tomahawk of the Indians;
£16,000,000 had been spent, of which five millions had been reimbursed
by Parliament, and thirty thousand of their soldiers had fallen in the
struggle, either in battle or by disease. The colonies, however, were
no longer weak and inexperienced ; they had grown from childhood to
a vigorous youth, able and willing to manifest the fact whenever it
might become necessary. Though Parliament had exercised its power
in regulating colonial trade for the exclusive benefit of the Mother
Country, and to which the colonists had submitted, it never had
attempted the levying of taxes for revenue. The English populace,
heavily burdened with taxation, was in sympathy with the ministry and
Parliament to tax the colonists, thinking thus to relieve themselves.
This enmity was further enhanced by reports that were circulated in
England that the Americans were indulging in gaiety and luxury, that
the planters lived like princes, while the inhabitants of Britain labored
hard for a subsistence. The returning officers represented the colonists
as rich, wealthy, and overgrown in fortune. These statements were
caused on account of the generous and hospitable people who since
the wars were terminated, and having no further apprehension of dan-
ger, the power of their late foe in the country being totally broken,
indulged themselves in many uncommon expenses to honor those who
had contributed to this security. The plenty and variety of provisions
and liquors, with the borrowed use of their neighbors' silver plate,
enabled them to make a parade of riches in their several entertainments.
Sir Robert Walpole, prime minister of England, when it was suggested
to levy a direct tax upon the colonies, declined making so dangerous an
experiment, saying: **I shall leave this operation to some one of my
successors who may possess more courage than I, and have less regard
for the commercial interests of England. My opinion is that, if by
favoring the trade of the colonies with foreign nations, they gain
£500,000 at the «nd of two years, fully one-half of it will have come into
the royal exchequer by the increased demand for English manufactures.
This is a mode of taxing them more agreeable to their own constitution
and laws, as well as our own."
Walpole's successor, George Grenville, while he doubted the propriety
of taxing the colonies without allowing them representation, loved power
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and the favor of Parliament, and contemplating the immense debt of
England with a degree of horror, was ready to insist upon the colonies
helping to bear the burden, bringing forth the famous Stamp Act. The
act proposed to impose upon the colonists the payment of a stamp tax
on all bills, bonds, notes, leases, policies of insurance, legal papers, etc.,
and afterwards by resolutions, additional duties on imports into the
colonies from foreign countries on sugar, indigo, coflfee, etc., it being
openly avowed that the object in view was to raise a revenue for defray-
ing the expenses of defending, protecting and securing His Majesty's
dominions in America. To enforce the provisions of the act, penalties
for violating it and all other revenue laws, might be recovered in the
admiralty courts presided over by judges dependent solely on the King,
without the intervention of a jury. The act and resolutions passed the
House without a division, it being resolved "that Parliament had the
right to tax the colonies." The colonial agents in London forwarded
the resolutions to their respective colonies. When the intelligence
reached America, it was regarded as the commencement of a system
of oppression which if not vigorously resisted would eventually deprive
them of the liberty of British subjects. The colonial Houses of Repre-
sentatives openly defied the right of Parliament to pass unjust tax laws,
and they were vigorously denounced by Samuel Adams and James Otis
in Massachusetts, and the prophetic words of Patrick Henry resounded
throughout the colonies. The agitation in America increased; private
citizens, members of public and corporate bodies, asserted that Parlia-
ment had no ri/ht to tax the colonies. Political circles and clubs were
formed; the suliject of all conversations was the fatal tax. On October
7, 1765, committees from nine of the colonies assembled in New York,
and in the course of a three weeks' session a declaration was made as a
birthright of the colonists — among the rest, the right of being taxed only
by their own consent A petition to the King and memorials to each
house of Parliament was prepared, in which the cause of the colonists
was eloquently pleaded. Robert Ogden, one of the New Jersey dele-
gates, withheld his signature on the plea that the petition and memorials
should first be approved by the several colonial assemblies, and he was
afterwards buried in effigy by the people of New Jersey for this action.
November i, 1765, was the day appointed for the Stamp Act to go
into operation. Ten boxes of stamps in New York were committed to
the flames. An organization known as the Sons of Liberty was organ-
ized, who entered into an agreement to march at their own expense to
the relief of those who put themselves in danger from the Stamp Acti
Collectors were mobbed and maltreated, and the Act, as far as becoming
operative, became inactive. A change occurred in the English ministry,
the Marquis of Rockingham became the new prime minister, and Par-
liament at its session in January, 1766, turned its attention to colonial
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REVOLUTIONARY DAYS 85
affairs. The Stamp Act was repealed by a vote of one hundri^d and five
against seventy-one, and the King, who was opposed to the repeal, but
loath to proceed to force, gave his consent March 19, 1766. Thus the
colonists scored the first victory for American independence.
The contumacy of the colonists greatly annoyed the King and min-
istry. Charles Townshend, Chancellor of the Exchequer, of a new
ministry under the nominal leadership of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham,
introduced to Parliament a new scheme of taxation based upon his chiefs
distinction between a direct tax and commercial imposts for regulating
trade ; thence he proposed to lay a duty upon teas imported into Amer-
ica, together with paints, paper, glass and lead, which were articles of
British production, the alleged object being to raise a revenue for the
support of civil government, for expenses of a standing army, and for
a permai^ent salary to the royal governor. This bill passed Parliament
with little opposition and received the royal assent. These acts were
received with no favor in America, and excitement was rekindled. A
party sprang into existence to resist in the name of right and national
honor. The taxes were light and imposed no burden upon the colonists,
but they felt more keenly the wrongs which affected the mind, and could
feel no repose while honor was unsatisfied. The English ministry
dreaded any step which seemed to encourage a prospect of a cause of
action on the part of the colonies. The presence of the newly appointed
officers for collecting the custom house duties did not tend to allay the
excitement of the public mind. The excitement was enhanced at Boston
by the quartering of two British regiments in their mi^t, which finally
led to the Boston Massacre. Lord North, on becoming, prime minister,
forwarded a motion to Parliament to repeal the whole of the Townshend
Act, except the duty on tea. This was retained in order to let it be seen
that the right of taxation was never to be g^ven up.
The excitement among the colonists was maintained by popular
meetings and discussions. The trouble was augmented by making the
governors and judges independent of the provinces, the injustices and
insults heaped upon Franklin by Parliament, and the irritating course
of the English ministry. These grievances all tende4 to urge on the
Americans to proceed to extremities. The attempt to force upon the
colonists cargoes of tea brought matters to a crisis. Vpssels were loaded
with the commodity and dispatched to various colonial seaports. Public
meetings were held protesting against this action, in which it was
resolved that "whosoever shall aid or abet in unloading, receiving or
vending tea*' was an enemy of his country. The cargo destined for
Boston was thrown overboard in Boston harbor ; that for New York was
dumped into the river, and the captain of the vessel was sent back to
England. The captain of a vessel with a cargo destined for Philadelphia
stopped four miles below the city, and deeming it most prudent, returned
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86 MIDDLESEX
with his cargo to England. At Charleston the teas were landed, but
were stored in damp cellars, where they soon spoiled.
These acts of the colonists aroused the indignation of Lord North
and on the assembling of Parliament, March 7, 1774, he presented a
message from the King advocating the adoption of resolutions for pun-
ishment of the unwarrantable practices carried on in North America.
This was the cause of the passing of a bill for the immediate removal of
the custom house officials at Boston, and to discontinue the landing and
discharging, loading and shipping of goods, wares and merchandise, at
that town or within its harbor, commonly known as the Boston Port
Bill. Another bill for the better regulating of the government of Massa-
chusetts Bay was practically a complete abrogation of its charter. A
third bill provided that any person indicted for murder or any other
capital offense committed in aiding the magistracy, the oflFender could by
the governor be sent to another colony or to Great Britain for trial. The
fourth bill provided for the quartering of troops in America; and the
fifth, known as the Quebec Act, placed the Roman Catholics and Protes-
tants on an equality, that confirmed to Roman Catholic clergy their
extensive landed property, allowed the administration of justice to be
carried on by the old French law, created a legislative council to be
named by the Crown, and enlarged the boundaries of the province as
far as the Ohio river. It was most likely owing to these judicious
measures that the Canadians declined taking part subsequently in the
open resistance which the other colonies organized against England.
These acts of Parliament were received by the colonists with strong
expressions of determined opposition. Boston naturally became the head
center of the revolt, and addresses assuring their support were sent by
the other colonies to its committee appointed for that purpose. The
subject of a General Congress of the colonies was agitated, and town
meetings were held advocating the organization of such a body. The
first held in New Jersey was a county meeting at Newark, June 11, 1774.
This was followed on July 21 of that year by a political convention which
met at New Brunswick. The session lasted three days, and among the
resolutions adopted was a recommendation for the appointment of a
General Committee of Correspondence for the whole colony, with author-
ity to call a Provincial Congress when in its judgment it should become
necessary.
The first Continental Congress met at Philadelphia, September 5,
1774. It consisted of fifty-three delegates, and all the colonies were
represented with the exception of Georgia. The delegates had generally
been elected by the authority of the provincial legislatures, but in New
Jersey they were chosen by a committee chosen in the several counties
for that purpose. The New Jersey members to the First Continental
Congress were James Kensey, Stephen Crane, William Livingston, John
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REVOLUTIONARY DAYS %7
De Hart, and Richard Smith. It was not a constitutional body; many
of its members had been chosen irregularly ; its authority was limited to
the willingness of the people to respect and obey its suggestions and
mandates. It was less a congress than a national committee, an advisory
council of continental magnitude. A declaration of rights, mild but
deeply sincere; an address to the King, disavowing a desire for inde-
pendence ; another to the people of England, also to the people of Canada,
were adopted. They approved of the policy of non-intercourse with
Great Britain, and formed an association to carry it out. The forming
of this association, which at first constituted the revolutionary machin-
ery, was an act of great importance. Its object was to secure the redress
of grievances by peaceful methods, by enforcing the non-importation
and non-consumption agreement. To carry out this purpose, commit-
tees were formed in every county or township of the colonies, who
worked under guidance of the Committee of Correspondence. The local
committees marked out for persecution every loyalist who refused to
comply with the recommendation of Congress. It was not until the
following year that the colonists formed associations pledged to oppose
the aggressions of the King by force of arms. This Congress sat for
fifty-one days, when it adjourned, after having made provision for another
Congress to meet the following May, in case it was needed. The pro-
ceedings of the Congress were very generally and heartily approved.
The course pursued in Middlesex county was a type of what was done
in other counties. The inhabitants met in public town and township
meetings in their several localities during the fall and winter of 1774-75,
and committees of observation were chosen as follows :
Woodbridge — Ebenezer Foster, Henry Freeman, Nathaniel Heard,
Reuben Potter, William Smith, Jeremiah Manning, Matthew Baker,
Charles Jackson, Samuel Force, John Pain, James Manning, John Heard,
Daniel Moores, Jojux-Eoss, Ellis Barron, William Cutter, Reuben Evans,
James Randolph, Timothy Bloomfield, John Noe and John Conway.
Piscataway — John Oilman, Henry Sutton, John Langstaff, William
Manning, Benjamin Manning, Jacob Martin, Charles Suydam, Jeremiah
Field, Daniel Bray, Jacob Titsworth, Micajah Dunn, Melanethan Free-
man and John Dunn.
South Amboy — Stephen Pangbum, John Lloyd, Luke Schenck, Mat-
thew Rue, William Vance and Joseph Potter.
New Brunswick — ^Azariah Dunham, J. Schureman, John Dennis,
John Lyle, Jr., Abraham Schuyler, George Hance, Jacobus Van Huys,
John Slight, John Voorhees, Barent Stryker, William Williamson, Peter
Farmer, Ferdinand Schureman, Abraham Buckalew and Jonathan Roeff.
South Brunswick — David Williamson, William Scudder, Isaac Van
Dyck, John Wetherill, Jr., Abraham Terhune, Jacob Van Dyck, Charles
Barclay.
Windsor — James Hebron, Samuel Minor, Jonathan Coombs, Andrew
Davison, Isaac Rogers, Ezekiel Smith and Jonathan Baldwin.
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At a meeting of this general committee assembled at New Bruns-
wick, January i6, 1775, James Neilson, William Oake, Ebenezer Foster,
Azariah Dunham, John Wetherill, Jonathan Coombs, Stephen Pangburn,
William Smith, Ebenezer Foster, Matthias Balker, Jacob Titsworth,
John Dunn, David Williamson, Jonathan Baldwin and Jacob Schenck
were appointed a Committee of Correspondence to confer with like
committees in the several counties of the province.
In response to a call of the Committee on Correspondence, a Provincial
Congress was held at New Brunswick, January 14, 1775, but little busi-
ness of importance took place. The stage was set in the colonies, the
chessmen placed upon the board, and the movement of the first pawn
v\ras awaiting the opening of actual hostilities. The first demonstration
was to be made in Massachusetts. General Gage, then governor of that
province, issued a proclamation oflfering full pardon to all the people
except Samuel Adams and John Hancock, whom he was ordered to take
and send to England for trial. These two patriots, fearing arrest, fled
to Lexington. The British general, learning their hiding place, on the
night of April 18 dispatched a body of eight hundred men to make the
arrest and destroy the military stores collected by the Americans at
Concord. The news of the approaching enemy spread throughout the
country, and when the enemy reached the greensward of Lexington
Common at sunrise the following morning, a body of forty minute-men,
armed with their hunting guns, now to be used as weapons of defense,
barred their passage. They were commanded by Captain John Parker,
grandfather of the great New England preacher and abolitionist, Theo-
dore Parker. His command to his men was, "Don't fire unless you are
fired on ; but if they want war, it may as well begin here." The British
met with feeble resistance and continued on to Concord, destroyed the
little they found there, cut down the liberty pole, and burned the court-
house. Hancock and Adams, having been notified in advance, of the
coming of the enemy, escaped and quietly proceeded on their way to
Philadelphia to attend the meeting of the Continental Congress to which
they had been elected delegates.
The news of the battle soon spread beyond the confines of New Eng-
land. New Jersey, rejecting overtures of reconciliation, began to train
her militia. The news reached Middlesex county, April 24, and on May
2 following, a meeting of the General Committee of Correspondence was
held at New Brunswick, who directed their chairman to call a Provin-
cial Congress to meet on May 23. In response to this call, the second
convention of the province met at Trenton, under the title of the Pro-
vincial Congress of New Jersey. There were eighty-seven delegates in
attendance, Middlesex county being represented by Nathaniel Heard,
William Smith, John Dunn, John Lloyd, Azariah Dunham, John Schurc-
men, John Wetherill, David Williamson, Jonathan Sergeant, Jonathan
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REVOLUTIONARY DAYS 89
Baldwin and Jonathan Deare. The Congress, though it declared its
allegiance to the rightful authority of His Sacred Majesty, George III.,
deemed its assembling was absolutely necessary for the security of the
province. They did not hesitate, notwithstanding this seeming loyalty,
to assume and exercise the functions of an independent and supreme
governing and legislative body, regardless of the authority of the royal
governor, and unrestrained by the check of any other power than the
will of the people. They promptly gave assuring evidence of their
voluntary subordination to the General Congress, and their disposition
to cooperate with it in securing the general welfare. It was ordered that
each county should have one vote. A committee was appointed to open
correspondence with the recently organized Provincial Congress of New
York. Articles of Association were adopted to be sent to the Committee
of Observation and Correspondence, with instructions to them to secure
the signatures of the freeholders and inhabitants to support and carry
into execution the measures recommended by Continental and Provincial
Congresses, and pledging themselves to support all existing magistrates
and civil officers in the execution of their duties. The most decided
revolutionary step taken was the adoption of a bill regulating the militia
of the colony — ^that one or more companies of eighty men each should
be formed in each township or corporation, of the inhabitants between
the ages of sixteen and fifty years, capable of bearing arms; and an
ordinance to raise £10,000 by taxation for the use of the province for
the expenses of this militia. The tax was apportioned to the several
counties the amount for Middlesex being £872 6s. 6d. The Congress
also provided for a Committee of Safety of fourteen members, three of
whom, with the president or vice-president, could convene Congress. The
members of this committee from Middlesex county were Azariah Dun-
ham, John Schureman, Jonathan Deare, Jonathan Baldwin and Nathaniel
Heard.
The second session of the Provincial Congfress was also held at
Trenton, convening August 5, 1775, continuing until August 17, 1775.
The object of the session was to prepare for the dreaded alternative, and
to take efficient measures for the collection of the taxes levied at a former
session ; to provide for the government of the province, and for the per-
petuation of the Provincial Congress as the successor to and substitute
for the overthrown royal governor and Colonial Legislature ; to perfect
the organization of the Friends of Liberty by the election of county and
township committees of observation and correspondence ; to perfect the
bill for regulation of the militia. The only change in the Middlesex
county delegation was the substitution of Lucas Schenck for David Wil-
liamson. The first business which occupied the attention of the Congress
was to provide for the tax already levied, which was required to be paid
before September 10, 1775. Delinquents and those refusing to sign the
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articles of association were to be reported to the next Provincial Con-
gress. An ordinance was adopted ordering a new election of deputies by
those qualified to vote for representatives to the General Assembly to
convene at Trenton on October 3, 1775.
Having thus provided for the perpetuation of the civil government of
the colony, the Congress turned its attention to more eflfective organ-
ization of the military strength of the province. It was thereby ordered
that the militia should consist of twenty-three regiments, of which num-
ber Middlesex county was to furnish two. Those inhabitants between
the ages of sixteen and fifty that refused to enroll should be required to
pay four shillings a month as an equivalent, and those signers of the
enrollment list refusing to attend on mustering day were to be fined two
shillings for each absence, not to exceed two fines a month. Each pri-
vate soldier was to be equipped with good arms. Besides these twenty-
three regiments of militia, four thousand able-bodied men were to be
enlisted and enrolled to be known as "minute-men," and were to hold
themselves in readiness to march at the shortest notice to any place
where their assistance might be required in the province or any neigh-
boring colony, these minute-men to be mustered into companies of sixty-
four men. The quota for Middlesex county was six companies. The
Congress appointed a Committee of Safety of eleven members, the Mid-
dlesex county representatives being Azariah Dunham and John Dennis.
The Provincial Congress up to this time had been purely provisional.
Its deputies had not been elected in conformity with any law that had
been enacted by a representative or authorized body, but were chosen
on the informal call of self-constituted or spontaneous meetings or con-
ventions. The preamble providing for a new election of deputies by the
people now demanded a formal resort to the people as the source of
power and authority, for choice of those who were to represent them.
The Provincial Congress that assembled at- Trenton, October 3, 1775.
and continued its session until October 25 of that year, was composed
of deputies elected by the people. Middlesex county had sent Azariah
Dunham and John Dennis. This Congress was flooded with petitions
on a multitude of subjects, from every county and from nearly every
township. These petitions received due consideration, but the Congress
was more materially engaged in scrutinizing the reports of the "associ*
ation*' and committees corresponding with the Continental Congress
for the raising, organizing, and equipping and forwarding of troops ; in
examining the state of finances of the province, estimating the expendi-
tures required for the maintenance of the militia, and canying on the
government. Their attention was largely occupied in deciding com-
plaints denouncing loyalists and sympathizers with Great Britain. The
amount required for the defense of the colony was estimated at £30,000,
and proclamation money was ordered printed for that amount, to be paid
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REVOLUTIONARY DAYS 91
out of a sinking fund to be derived from a tax levied annually in 1784, 1785
and 1786. Middlesex county's apportionment of the £10,000 tax was
£827 6s. gd. One of the most important matters connected with the pub-
lic defense was a resolution of the Continental Congress recommending
to the convention of New Jersey the raising of two battalions of eight
companies, each consisting of sixty-eight privates, officered by one cap-
tain, one lieutenant, one ensign, four sergeants and four corporals. The
privates were to be enlisted for one year at £5 a month. These bat-
talions became known as the Eastern and Western Battalions, and on
November 10, 1775, six companies of the Eastern were ordered to gar-
rison the fort in the Highlands on the Hudson; the remainder of the
battalion on November 27, 1775, was ordered into barracks near New
York, and were mustered into the Continental army at New York,
December 26, 1775, under command of Lord Stirling.
The people of Middlesex county were familiar with the sight of
British troops before the commencement of hostilities, the English hav-
ing erected barracks at both New Brunswick and Perth Amboy. British
troops were in New Jersey as early as 1758, and in December, 1759, a
battalion of Royal Scotch over four hundred strong, was quartered at
New Brunswick. The first regular garrison was probably composed of
the 29th Regiment of Foot, who garrisoned Perth Amboy, New Bruns-
wick, and other towns, for a considerable period, and became very popu-
lar in the province. It was withdrawn in November, 1771, the next
regular garrison being a part of the 60th Regiment, that sailed in Novem-
ber, 1772, for Jamaica, and was succeeded by the 47th Regiment. These
troops were called to New York in July, 1774, and partook of the dangers
of Bunker Hill and Saratoga. The Barracks in Perth Amboy and New
Brunswick were then taken possession of by the New Jersey provincial
regiments.
The determined stand of the Americans at Bunker Hill, the accept-
ance of the office of commander of the American forces by Washington,
with the success of Ethan Allen at Ticonderoga, and the American vic-
tories in the South, caused the British government to evolve new plans
for the conquest of the colonies. The secret policy of the government
was to gain possession of New York and the Hudson river, thereby open-
ing up communication between Canada and New York, and expose
Massachusetts and the eastern colonies to the inroads of the Indians in
the pay of the government. The opening of the second year of the War
for Independence found Washington waiting impatiently before Bos-
ton. His successful fortification of Dorchester Heights led to the evacu-
ation of that city and the embarkation of the English troops and royalists
for Halifax, Nova Scotia, at 4 o'clock on the morning of March 17, 1776.
General Washington, leaving a force for the protection of Boston,
with his main body of troops marched to defend New York. Sir William
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Howe, finding his quarters at Halifax not comfortable, at the close of
June arrived at Staten Island with a large body of troops to prevent
intercourse between the eastern and middle States, thinking thereby to
frustrate any common plan of operation. Washington had not felt him-
self able to occupy this island, but deemed it expedient to form a camp
in its immediate region, and selected Perth Amboy, placing General
Hugh Mercer in command. Troops were in consequence marched
towards Perth Amboy, one thousand strong, among the first being four
hundred and fifty of the Middlesex militia, commanded by Major John
Duyckinck. It was about this time that a British brig-of-war mounting
twelve guns entered the harbor at Perth Amboy. The Americans that
night procured from the town of Woodbridge an eighteen-pounder gun,
placed it behind breastworks, and at dawn opened fire upon the vessel.
Though the latter made brisk reply, her commander retired from the
conflict, otherwise his ship would have been sunk.
The Committee of Safety met during the recess of the Provincial
Congress, at Princeton, New Jersey, January 9, 1776, and established
posts at proper distances to carry intelligence to the diflferent parts of
the colony. A man and horse was to be in readiness at Newark, Eliza-
bethtown, Woodbridge, New Brunswick, Princeton and Trenton, who
was to forward all expresses to and from the Continental Congress. This
established the first express company in New Jersey.
The first election that gave the right of franchise to all male free-
holders twenty-one years of age who had lived in the province one year,
who was worth fifty pounds and had signed the articles of association,
took place the fourth Monday in May, 1776. The deputies elected from
Middlesex county were Moses Bloomfield, John Wetherill, John Dunn,
Jonathan D. Sergeant and John Coombs. This congress or conventi<Mi
deposed Governor Franklin and ordered his arrest; it also received th«
Declaration of Independence, and declared that they would support the
freedom and independence of the united colonies with their lives and
fortunes and with the whole force of New Jersey.
General Washington and his army were at the Heights of Brooklyn,
at York Island and Paulus Hook, where the new entrenched batteries of
the Americans were located. The citizens of New York awaited the
conflict between the opposing armies. The British force landed on Long
Island August 26, gave battle and obtained a complete victory. This led
to the occupation of New York City, September 15, 1776. The American
forces continued to lose ground around New York, and though on the
night of October 16, 1776, General Mercer passed over to Staten Island
from Perth Amboy to capture a force of British Hessians stationed at
Richmond, the enemy having been warned in advance, but little was
accomplished.
In November, 1776, Washington's retreat through New Jersey com-
menced. His headquarters were at Hackensack from 19th to 21st of
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REVOLUTIONARY DAYS 93
November; at Acquackanonck on the 21st; at Newark, 23rd-27th; at
New Brunswick, November 30th to December ist; and at Trenton,
December 3rd-i2th ; the army crossing the Delaware the 7th. By this
retreat New Jersey was left in the undisturbed possession of the enemy,
the English taking possession of Perth Amboy, December i, 1776. Wash-
ington, however, having received reinforcements, crossed the Delaware
on the night of December 25th, and by the battles of Trenton and
Princeton reestablished the supremacy of the American arms south and
west of New Brunswick, and went into winter quarters at Morristown.
This was the darkest hour of the War of the Revolution. No aid had
been received from France. A portion of the people sympathizing with
the invaders, the patriots were everywhere exposed to their bitter hatred,
cupidity and treachery. Trade and industry were paralyzed, the hus-
bandman only planted for the bare subsistence of his family. Precious
metals had vanished from the land, paper money had little value, the
means of the patriots were almost erfiausted, and their hopes wellnigh
extinguished. The numerous responses for volunteers for the army had
left only old men and women and children at home; their houses and
gamers were gleaned of every superfluity and even of the necessities of
life.
The British occupied New Brunswick, Perth Amboy, and their vicin-
ity, including Six-Mile Run, Middlebrush, Piscataway, Woodbridge and
Bonhamtown, from December 2, 1776, till June 22, 1777. It was during
this occupation that the true character of the enemy was divulged. The
soil was deluged with blood, they plundered friends and foes, suffered
prisoners to perish for want of sustenance, violated the chastity of
women, disfigured private dwellings and churches. There were also
active hostilities, skirmishes being frequent, with varied results. The
Jersey militia on January 5, 1777, attacked a regiment of British troops in
the neighborhood of Spanktown (Rahway). The object of the attack
was to secure possession of a thousand bushels of salt. The skirmish
continued two hours, when the enemy being reinforced, the Americans
retired from the conflict. The Sixth Virginia Regiment attacked a
detachment of the enemy on its way to Perth Amboy from New Bruns-
wick, causing a loss of sixty-five in killed and wounded, their commander,
Colonel Preston, being killed, and his second in command being danger-
ously wounded. The Americans sustained no loss in this engagement.
There was a skirmish at Piscataway between seven hundred Amer-
icans and about one thousand British. The latter were at first defeated,
but returned and renewed the conflict, obliging the Americans to retire.
The foraging and scouting parties of the Americans cut off all com-
munication between Perth Amboy and New Brunswick excepting by
the Raritan river. Lord Comwallis' headquarters were at New Bruns-
wick, and his detachment becoming short of provisions, a fleet of boats
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94 MIDDLESEX
coming up the Raritan with the needed supplies, four or five of them
were sunk, the others were obliged to return to New York, by the oper-
ation of a battery of six thirty-two pounders placed in position on a bluff
overlooking the river by the vigilant provincials. General Howe subse-
quently attempted to open communication on March 8, in the neighbor-
hood of Bonhamtown, but failed, narrowly escaping capture, and New
Brunswick continued shut up until late in March. There were several
skirmishes between the opposing armies near Bonhamtown. On the night
of April IS, a detachment of Americans under Captain Alexander Pater-
son, of the Pennsylvania I2th Regiment, attacked the picket guard of the
enemy, capturing it entire, twenty-five in number. On May lo there
was a skirmish at Piscataway between portions of Colonels Cork's and
Hendrick's regiments and the 71st Regiment of Scotch Regulars. The
latter was forced to retire, but a reinforcement arriving from Bonham-
town, the Highlanders were reinstated, although with considerable loss.
The British did nothing against Washington. Towards the end of
May, 1777, he advanced upon New Brunswick, from which place General
Howe marched June 14th to take the field against him. The first division
under Lord Cornwallis advanced to Hillsborough; the second, com-
manded by General De Hiester, marched to Middlebrush, with a view
of drawing on an action if the enemy should remove from the mountains
toward the Delaware. The Americans, however, retained their position,
and General Howe decided to withdraw the British army from New
Jersey, returning his troops to the camp at New Brunswick. On June 22
the road was taken for Perth Amboy, intending to cross to Staten Island
from thence to embark for New York. The British army crossed over
to Staten Island, the rearguard passing Perth Amboy at two o'clock on
the afternoon of June 30, without the least appearance of an enemy.
This movement was a matter of great perplexity to Washington; Bur-
goyne was in command of a large force in Canada, advancing upon
Ticonderoga; in New York, preparations were under way for a sea
expedition against either New England or Philadelphia to create a diver-
sion in favor of Burgoyne. Washington moved his forces slowly, think-
ing the real intention of all these measures was that the British might
attempt to ascend the Hudson river, endeavoring to form a junction with
Burgoyne. The British fleet went to sea, and Washington prepared to
guard Philadelphia. The battles of Brandywine and Germantown
decided the issue; the British occupied Philadelphia, and Washington
and his army went into winter quarters at Valley Forge.
The two momentous events in the history of the American cause for
independence were the massacre at Wyoming, and the surrender of
Burgoyne. Thus at the close of 1777, by the first the patriots had gained
the sympathy of foreign nations, who were dumbfounded and disgusted
by the use of depraved Indians bought by English gold to murder and
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REVOLUTIONARY DAYS 95
scalp not only men of fighting age, but defenseless men, women and
children. In the latter event, Americans had displayed to the world
their fearless courage, the ability of their commanders and soldiers to
meet experienced troops and obtain a victory, when the odds were to
their disadvantage. These two events were to bring to the American
cause not only the gold and soldiers of France, but the cooperation of
the entire civilized world outside of their inveterate enemies.
The opening of 1778 found the British army in the east, quartered
in Philadelphia, New York and Rhode Island, totaling about 33,000 men,
while Washington had only about 15,000 to 20,000 men. Sir Henry
Clinton, then in supreme command of the British forces, decided in June,
1778, to evacuate Philadelphia, and remove his army to New York. Pro-
ceeding leisurely through Haddonfield and Mount Holly, he reached
Crosswicks and Allentown, June 24th, having in seven days marched less
than forty miles. This slow progress was looked upon by the Amer-
icans as if Sir Henry desired an engagement, but it was undoubtedly due
for the protection of his wagon train, which was twelve miles long.
Washington, leaving Valley Forge, encamped on high grounds at Hope-
well on June 23.
From Allentown there were two roads to New York — one through
South Amboy to the Hudson river, the other leading to Monmouth and
Sandy Hook. The first was the shorter route, but Sir Henry resolved
to take the road to Sandy Hook, as he judged it would be difficult to
cross the Raritan river in the face of the enemy. Washington, anticipat-
ing a battle, dispatched one thousand men towards Monmouth Court
House, the whole army following at a proper distance. The armies came
together near the present site of Freehold, where two or three brief
skirmishes were fought, but the final pitched battle took place about two
miles from that county seat. The day was one of excessive heat, nearly
one hundred soldiers were found dead on the battlefield without even
a mark of a bullet. The British soldiers suffered worse in this respect,
as the clothing of the American was much lighter in weight. At the
approach of night, both armies occupied the field of battle, and the inten-
tion of Washington was to continue the fight the following day. The
British, however, when darkness flooded the land at about ten o'clock,
silently took up their march, and to the surprise of the Americans the
morning sun showed no enemies in view. Clinton marched his army
twenty-four miles that day, protected his immense wagon train, arrived
at Perth Amboy, and embarked his troops for New York. General
Washington declined to follow the retreating army in the morning. The
battle of Monmouth was the last conflict of any importance to take place
in the eastern colonies; the seat of war was henceforth to be in the
southern colonies.
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96 MIDDLESEX
Several minor events took place in Middlesex county. A detachment
of the New Jersey Royal Volunteers, consisting of sixty men, on August
19, 1777, crossed Staten Island Sound, marched twenty-seven miles into
the interior, captured fourteen prisoners, sixty-two head of cattle, nine
horses, destroyed property, and successfully transported their booty in
safety to the island. Commissioners appointed by General Washington
and Sir Henry Clinton met at Perth Amboy, April 12, 1779, to make
arrangements for a general exchange of prisoners. Another invasion
was made by about fifty of the "Greens" who crossed from Staten Island
in the early morning of October 12, 1779, and secured upwards of a
hundred cattle and horses, but a company of American troops obliged
them to retreat, leaving most of their booty behind. The raid of Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Simcoe, of the Queen's Rangers, on the night of October
25, 1779, in which the gallant leader lost his life, was one of the most
notable events of the success of the New Jersey militia. A band of thirty
refugees on June i, 1780, captured ten prisoners at Woodbridge, whom
they conveyed to New York.
Captain Adam Hyler and Captain Marriver were enterprising priva-
teers of New Brunswick. They cruised between Egg Harbor and Staten
Island, and many of their exploits read like a romance. They levied
their contributions on the New York fishermen on the fishing banks, and
annoyed the enemy so much that an armed force of three hundred men
was sent January 4, 1782, to destroy their boats. Hyler, the most suc-
cessful of the two, died at New Brunswick in 1782; Marriver lived at
Harlem, New York, several years after the war. There is scarcely a town
or village in the State that has not its local traditions or veritable
accounts of valiant doings in the country's cause, waiting for the patient
chronicler to gather and preserve them.
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CHAPTER XIII.
MIDDLESEX MEN IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
Two citizens of Middlesex county, Nathaniel Heard and John Neil-
son, received the military rank of brigadier-general in the New Jersey
State troops furnished during the Revolutionary War. General Heard
was a native of Woodbridge, and was one of the first to take the field
against the enemy. He raised in 1775 a body of troops which he placed
at the disposition of the Provincial Congress and the Committee of
Safety. He was colonel of the First Middlesex Regiment, afterwards
colonel of a battalion of Minute-men, later was in command of a battalion
named in his honor Heard's Battalion, then was made a brigadier-
general and finally held that rank in the militia. He suffered a heavy
penalty for his patriotism ; his dwelling with the outside buildings were
destroyed by fire by the British, who also appropriated to their use a
thousand bushels of grain, seventy tons of hay, one thousand panels of
fence, twenty-two hogsheads of cider, and two horses ; he lost by these
depredations over £2,000. After the Revolution, he held several offices
under the National and State governments, being marshal of New Jersey
and collector of revenue at Amboy under the former, and surrogate under
the latter.
General Neilson was of Scotch and Dutch descent, though the found-
ers of his family in America came from Belfast, Ireland. James Neilson,
with his brother John Neilson, a doctor, arrived in Perth Amboy in 1716.
The former became a resident of New Brunswick before 1730, as he was
one of the patentees for a charter obtained in that year. The mail for
Somerset county was left at his residence, as Perth Amboy was the near-
est post office. James Neilson engaged in the shipping and mercantile
business, was one of the first trustees of Princeton College (then the
College of New Jersey), was alderman in New Brunswick, judge of the
Court of Common Pleas, and a member of the Revolutionary Committee
of Correspondence. He died at New Brunswick, March 4, 1783, in the
eighty-third year of his age. Though far advanced in life at the
commencement of the Revolutionary War, he was exceeded by no one
in patriotism, believing that the injustice aimed at the colonies was clear
and unveiled. He was a true friend to religion, and a liberal contributor
to its support. He died childless, but owing to the early death of General
Neilson's father, he adopted his brother's son as his own and left him his
heir by his will.
Doctor John Neilson, a native of Belfast, Ireland, the father of the
General, married Joanna, daughter of Andrew Cojeman, who came from
Mid-7
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98 MIDDLESEX
Holland with his mother, the widow of Andreas Cojeman. The family
settled on the banks of the Hudson river on the Cojeman's patent, after-
wards removed to Raritan Landing. Dr. Neilson died March 19, 1745,
in consequence of an accident and while a young man.
The only son of Doctor John and Joanna (Cojeman) Neilson was
bom at Raritan Landing, March 11, 1745, and given the name of his
father. At the outbreak of the Revolution he was engaged in the ship-
ping business with his uncle James Neilson. Fired with patriotism for
his native country, young Neilson made a strong speech to the citizens
of New Brunswick, in which to use his own words, he "bitterly resented
the attempt of a venal Parliament fought by an oppressive ministry to
tax his country, stating that the only alternative was victory or slavery."
He threw himself with energy into the struggle, raised a company of
militia, and was appointed its captain. The company was called into
service and placed under command of General Heard at the east end of
Long Island. Captain Neilson on August 31, 1775, was commissioned
colonel of a battalion of minute-men from Middlesex county by the Pro-
\'incial Congress of New Jersey.
Such was the public appreciation of Colonel Neilson's ability and
patriotism that he was urged early in 1776 to take a seat in the Con-
tinental Congress of that year, which was to take under consideration the
grave measure of the Declaration of Independence. His presence in his
native State being deemed so necessary, he was led to decline the honor.
A copy of the Declaration of Independence, however, was forwarded to
him by Congress, and he was solicited to use his efforts for it to receive
a favorable reception in his part of New Jersey. A meeting consisting
of a large portion of the inhabitants of New Brunswick was held in the
public streets to hear the document read, and a violent opposition was
feared. Colonel Neilson, fearless of personal danger, read the instrument
to the people, and at its conclusion was greeted with loud cheers by so
great a majority that the opponents of the measure did not dare to avow
themselves.
In the dark and gloomy days of 1776, when Washington's army was
reduced to a mere handful and the country's cause was trembling in the
balance. Colonel Neilson, in command of the Second Regiment Middle-
sex County Militia, during September and October, was stationed in
Bergen and Essex counties. His command in December retired with
Washington's army to the west bank of the Delaware river. On the last
day of that gloomy year, under orders of General Washington, Colonel
Neilson with other New Jersey militia officers was directed to proceed
to New Jersey to use their exertions to call togfether and embody the
militia of the State. The efforts of these and a few other brave men at
this critical time, and the patriotic response of the State militia, made
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MIDDLESEX MEN IN REVOLUTION 99
possible the victories of Trenton, Princeton and Monmouth, which
turned the scale from deep despondency and finally resulted in the estab-
lishment of American independence.
Colonel Neilson with a detachment of his regiment surprised and
captured every man of an outpost of refugees stockaded on an island in
the river about three miles below New Brunswick, without firing a gun.
In acknowledgment of his services he was appointed, February 21, 1777,
brigadier-general of militia. During the winter of 1777 the British troops
were quartered at New Brunswick, their commander, Lord Howe, mak-
ing his headquarters at Colonel Neilson's residence on Burnet street. In
the months of September, October and November, 1777, the colonel was
in service in the lines at Elizabethtown with the militia of Middlesex and
Somerset counties. He served in Monmouth county in June and July,
1778, being a part of the time under command of General Dickerson, and
a part holding a separate command. The Assembly and Council, Novem-
ber 6, 1778, elected him a delegate to the Continental Congress, but he
never took his seat, as his services could not be spared from the State.
In the spring and summer of 1779 he commanded the militia on the
lines of Elizabeth and Newark. He was appointed September 20, 1780,
deputy quartermaster-general for the State of New Jersey. This position
threw upon him great responsibility, as the State failed either by taxes
or loans to provide for the support of the army. The currency was
depreciated, and forage, food, clothing and transportation were hard to
obtain. He continued in this position until the close of the war. His
useful and honorable Revolutionary career was terminated by his appoint-
ment, June 28, 1782, as one of the commissioners to settle the remaining
accounts caused by the depreciation in the money value of their pay with
the New Jersey troops.
After the war he succeeded to the property and business of his uncle,
and carried on an extensive trade with Lisbon, Maderia, and the West
Indies. He was still, however, called upon for services to the public ; he
was delegate to the State Convention called to consider the adoption of
the Federal Constitution, and of its forty members was the last survivor ;
he was one of the commissioners to build bridges over the Hackensack,
Passaic and Raritan rivers ; and was a prominent member of the Assem-
bly in 1800 and 1801. General Washington never passed through New
Brunswick without calling on General Neilson, and Lafayette at the
time of his visit to this country in 1824 presented him with a sword, and
evinced the warmest pleasure in seeing him again. General Neilson was
an elder in the New Brunswick Presbyterian church, clerk of the session
fifty years, and a member of the board of trustees of Rutgers College
from 1782, until his death March 3, 1833.
The colonels of the New Jersey Line were : Jacob Hyer, John Taylor,
Robert Taylor, John Webster and John Wetherill. Hyer was from
05 40 a..
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loo MIDDLESEX
Princeton, and was first lieutenant-colonel of the Third Middlesex Regi-
ment ; afterwards became its colonel. He was a *'fine old gentleman of
the olden times," and was at one time an innkeeper, but was also engaged
in his trade of hatter. Of John and Robert Taylor there is little known.
Colonel Webster was a resident of Piscataway, where he was a farmer
on a large scale. He was first a captain in the First Middlesex Regiment,
afterwards successively its lieutenant-colonel and colonel. Colonel
Wetherill was from South Brunswick, and at the commencement of the
war was colonel of the Second Middlesex Regiment.
Two other citizens of New Brunswick ranked as colonel in the Revo-
lutionary War. Anthony Walton White was born near New Brunswick,
July 7, 1750, the only son of Anthony White and Elizabeth Morris, a
daughter of Governor Lewis Morris. His ancestors were of a martial
strain of blood. The progenitor of the family, Anthony White, a royalist,
left England shortly after the execution of Charles L, settling in Ber-
muda. His son, also named Anthony, served with the army in Ireland
until the Battle of the Boyne. Leonard, the latter's eldest son, was an
officer in the British navy ; and his eldest son, Anthony White, lived in
New York in 1715 ; son of the latter and father of the subject of this
narrative was a lieutenant-colonel in the British army during the French
and Indian War in 1753.
As early as 1761, Anthony Walton White, although only eleven years
of age, was owing to paternal influence in possession of several official
sinecures. He continued a nominal holder of these offices, pursuing his
studies in the meantime under his father, whom he in turn assisted in
care of his estate, until the outbreak of the Revolution. In October,
177s, he also was appointed an aide to General Washington, and the
following February was commissioned by Congress lieutenant-colonel
of the Third Battalion of New Jersey troops, and as such commanded the
outposts of the army under Washington, continuing in service in the
army of the North until 1780, when he was appointed a colonel.
In July, 1780, Colonel White fitted out on his own credit two regi-
ments with which the following spring he joined General Gates* army in
the South. His command was engaged in skirmishes with General Tarle-
ton's troops until the surrender of Comwallis at Yorktown. Between
1 781 and 1783 he was with General Wayne in the Carolinas and Georgia.
He unfortunately, however, became security for the debts of officers and
men of his command, which he was obliged to pay, thereby depleting
his fortune. In the spring of 1783 he married Miss Margaret Ellis, a
young lady possessing great beauty and wealth, who resided in Charles-
ton, South Carolina. He resided from 1783 to 1793 in New York, but
after that lived in New Brunswick, where he died February 10, 1803. In
his late life his fortunes were again impoverished, and the fortune of his
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MIDDLESEX MEN IN REVOLUTION loi
wife was wrecked through the improvidence of a friend who had been
intrusted with its care, and his efforts to obtain relief from Congress
on account of his expenditures for men in the service of the government
proved unavailing.
The ancestors of Colonel John Bayard were of French and Dutch
extraction. Samuel Bayard, a son of Rev. Balthazar Bayard, a French
Protestant divine and professor, died in his native country before his
widow and children emigrated to America. The widow was a daughter
of Rev. Balthazar Stuyvesant, and a sister of Peter Stuyvesant, the
famous director-general of New Netherlands, whose wife was a sister of
Samuel Bayard, his brother-in-law. The widow with her four children
accompanied^ her brother to New Amsterdam. She was a person of
imposing presence, highly educated, with great business capacity, and,
like her brother, had an imperious temper. Petrus, her son, a native of
Alphen, South Holland, engaged in mercantile pursuits, also in real estate
transactions. Among his many purchases of the latter was in conilection
with a party of Labodists of lands in Cecil county, Maryland, known as
the Labodie Tract of Bohemia Manor. Petrus died in New Amsterdam
in 1699. His son Samuel, with his brother-in-law, Hendrick Sluyter, in
1698 removed from New Amsterdam to Bohemia Manor, where he built
a substantial brick mansion. James, his son, came into possession of the
"Great House" in Bohemia Manor at the time of his mother's death in
1750. Here he spent his life, one of the most influential and active citi-
zens of Eastern Maryland. In the "Great House*' were born, August 11,
1738, John Bubenheim and James Asheton Bayard, twins. They attended
the famous Nottingham Institution in Maryland, then under the super-
vision of Rev. Samuel Finley ; subsequently they were placed under the
private tutelage of Rev. George Duffield, the famous Presbyterian theo-
logian. The brothers at the age of eighteen years went to Philadelphia,
John, dropping his middle name of Bubenheim, entered the counting-
house of John Rhea, while his brother took up the study of medicine.
John Bayard later engaged in mercantile pursuits, becoming one of the
leading importers and merchants of the Quaker City. He was amongst
the first to protest against the exactions of the British government, and
his name heads the list that signed the non-importation agreement of
October 25, 1765. When the period of aggression took place, he was
found at the forefront of the struggle. He was appointed a member of
the Committee of Correspondence, a delegate to the Provincial Conven-
tion, and early identified himself with the Sons of Liberty.
In 177s three battalions of Associators were organized in Philadel-
phia, and Bayard was commissioned major of the second, subsequently
promoted to the colonelcy, and saw active service during the next two
years. He was in camp with his command at Bristol, Pennsylvania,
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I02 MIDDLESEX
shortly before Washington's crossing of the Delaware. For his services
at the battle of Princeton he received the personal thanks of Washington.
During the year 1777, Colonel Bayard divided his time between his mili-
tary and civil duties. He was apppinted March 13 of that year a member
of the State Board of War, and four days later was elected speaker of
the Assembly. When Lord Howe and the British army approached
Philadelphia, Colonel Bayard resumed his military duties and partici-
pated in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown. Later, when hos-
tilities were discontinued for the winter, he again returned to
the performance of his executive duties. In 1780 he served as a member
of a committee to report the causes of the falling off of the State rev-
enues. He was chosen October 13, 1781, to a seat in the Supreme Execu-
tive Council, serving until November 4, 1782; soon after he was com-
missioned a judge of the High Court of Appeals. He took his seat as a
mem][>er of the Continental Congress, November 22, 1785. His retire-
ment from active business took place in 1788, when he removed from
Philadelphia to New Brunswick, where he built a handsome residence in
which he entertained many distinguished guests. In 1790 he was made
mayor of his adopted residential city, and afterwards commissioned a
judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Somerset county. His death
took place at New Brunswick, January 7, 1807.
Prominent in the medical history of the American army was Charles
McKnight. He was the eldest son of Rev. Charles McKnight, for nearly
forty years a much esteemed and highly respected clergyman of the
Presbyterian church, and one of the early trustees of the College of New
Jersey. Of Scotch descent, his forbears emigrated to Ireland at the time
of the "Ulster Plantation," which took place at the beginning of the
seventeenth century. The reverend gentleman was of such pronounced
patriotism for the American cause that he became obnoxious to the
Tories, and at an advanced age in 1777 was imprisoned by the British,
who treated him with great cruelty. Upon his release from captivity he
survived but a short time, his death occurring January i, 1778. A
younger son of the worthy clergyman, an officer in the New Jersey Line,
was also confined to the prison ships in Wallabout bay, Long Island,
now the present site of the Brooklyn Navy Yard ; he perished during his
imprisonment, thus joining the great army of martyrs to the cause of
independence. The future surgeon-general of the American army was
bom at Cranbury, October 10, 1750; after receiving an excellent educa-
tion he graduated in the class of 1771 from Princeton College. He sub-
sequently studied medicine with the celebrated surgeon, Dr. Shippen, of
Philadelphia, and owing to his marked abilities was appointed, April 11,
1777, senior surgeon of the Flying Hospital, Middle Department; at the
age of thirty years he was made surgeon-general of the American army,
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MIDDLESEX MEN IN REVOLUTION 103
serving until January i, 1782. Dr. McKnight then became Professor of
Surgery and Anatomy in Columbia College, New York. He gained dis-
tinction as a practitioner and teacher, not only in his native country, but
also in Europe. A life of constant activity was, however, relinquished in
his forty-first year, owing to a pulmonary affection, the result of an
injury received during the war, and which caused his death. Dr. Mc-
Knight, although an eminent physician, was particularly distinguished
at home and abroad as a practical surgeon, and at the time of his death
was without a rival in this branch of the medical profession. Dr.
McKnight's only son, John M. Scott McKnight, was a prominent physi-
cian of New York City. A grandson,' Charles McKnight Smith, though
a native of Haverstraw, New York, soon after obtaining his medical
degree located at Perth Amboy, where he continued practice until his
death in 1874. being at that time one of the oldest physicians in practice
in the State. He was for many years health officer of Perth Amboy, a
vestryman of St. Peter's Church in that city, and collector of the port
in 1841 and at intermediate periods till his death.
A noted early physician of New Brunswick who gained military fame
in the Revolutionary War was Moses Scott. A native of Neshaminy,
Bucks county, Pennsylvania, he early became infatuated with military life,
and at the age of seventeen years joined the unfortunate expedition of
General Braddock. At the capture of Fort Duquesne, then a commis-
sioned officer, he resigned and entered upon the study of medicine. He
removed to New Brunswick before the commencement of the Revolution-
ary War, and on February 14, 1776, was commissioned surgeon in the
general hospital of the Continental army. He supplied himself with
medicines and surgical instruments which he obtained from Europe
chiefly upon his own credit; but on the enemy invading New Bruns-
wick he narrowly made his escape and the outfit of medical supplies was
emptied into the streets by the British soldiers. Congress took the entire
direction of the medical staff of the army in 1777, and Dr. Scott was com-
missioned as senior physician and surgeon of the hospitals and assistant
director-general. He was present at the battles of Trenton, Princeton,
Brandywine and Germantown. At the restoration of peace he resumed
his medical duties at New Brunswick, where he continued to reside until
his death, December 28, 182 1.
Among the line officers of the regiments of the New Jersey State
troops ranking as lieutenant-colonel was Samuel Crow, of Woodbridge,
who was successively a captain in the First Regiment of Middlesex, then
a major, and subsequently lieutenant-colonel of that regiment. Jonathan
Deare was originally from Princeton, New Jersey, but must have
* removed before the commencement of hostilities to Amboy, as at a
meeting held to discuss measures for the relief of the country, April 28,
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I04 MIDDLESEX
1775, h^ was appointed one of the standing committee of correspondence
for the north ward of that city. He attended the Provincial Congress
held May 5, 1775, taking his seat as a member from Middlesex county,
and not especially from Amboy. He was also a vestryman of St. Peter's
Church of Perth Amboy from 1770 to 1774. His name appears first with
rank of major, to a pledge signed by officers of the First Regiment of
Militia in the county of Middlesex, dated February 24, 1776. Having
been promoted to lieutenant-colonel, he resigned in March, 1778, to
become collector of customs for the eastern district of New Jersey. His
fee book while naval officer at Amboy from June 8, 1784, to February 8,
1788, in possession of the New Jersey Historical Society, shows the
entrance of fifty-two sailing vessels and the clearance of fifty during
that period.
Azariah Dunham was the son of Rev. Jonathan Dunham, a resident
of Piscataway. He was a civil engineer, residing before the opening of
the war at New Brunswick. He was a member of the Colonial Assembly
in May, 1775, and during the preceding year a member of the conference
held in the city of New York, of delegates from the sister colonies to
adopt measures to protect the menaced liberties of the people. He was
a member of the first Provincial Congress of New Jersey, also of the
Committee of Safety. Colonel Dunham was lieutenant-colonel of the
Second Battalion Middlesex Militia, but resigned to devote his attention
to the duties of superintendent of purchases, also to raise troops and sign
bills of credit for the Eastern Department of New Jersey, a position to
which he had been elected by the Provincial Congress and which he
filled until the close of the war. There is little known of Micajah Dunn
and Richard Lott. Thomas Hadden, a resident of Woodbridge, was
first a captain, then major, and afterwards lieutenant-colonel in the First
Middlesex Regiment. William Scudder was from a family of millers,
and his grist and fulling mill at Scudder's mills was totally destroyed by
the British. He was first major and afterwards lieutenant-colonel of the
Third Middlesex Regiment.
Amongst those line officers who held the rank of major was John
Dunn. He was a member of the family of that name largely identified
with the township of Piscataway, who furnished not less than fifteen offi-
cers and privates of the name of Dunn to the American army. Major
Dunn was first a major in Colonel Heard's battalion of minute-men, and
afterwards held the same rank in Colonel Samuel Forman's battalion of
detached militia, and subsequently was first major of the First Middlesex
Regiment. John Lyle, a tanner, of New Brunswick, was first a captain
and then a major in the Third Middlesex Regiment. Another patriotic
tanner was Robert Nixon, of South Brunswick, who was first a captain in
a troop of light-horse, was brevetted major, and finally was first major of
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105
the Third Middlesex Regiment. Samuel F. Parker, a son of the pioneer
printer, James Parker, of Woodbridge, was first a captain in Colonel
Forman's battalion of Heard's brigade, and afterwards a major in same.
Samuel Randolph, of Piscataway, was first a captain and then a major in
the First Middlesex Regiment. John Van Emburgh, a resident of New
Brunswick, was successively second and first major of the Second Mid-
dlesex Regiment. He was taken prisoner by the enemy at Tom's River,
New Jersey, May 14, 1780, but soon eflfected his escape. He was promi-
nently identified with the Presbyterian church at New Brunswick, serv-
ing as one of its trustees. There is little known of Eldgar Clarkson.
Thomas Egbert and Reuben Potter held the rank of major in the New
Jersey militia. Thomas Stelle or Steele, from the town of Piscataway,
was a captain and afterwards paymaster of the Middlesex Militia. John
Van Kirk held the rank of quartermaster.
We append the names of the company officers and privates of the
Middlesex men in the Revolutionary War :
ROSTER OF STATE TROOPS.
CAPTAINS.
Addis, Simoo.
HuUck, .
Schuyler, Abram.
Anderson, Andrew.
Jaquish, ^ .
Scudder, .
Barron, Ellis.
Johnston, Heathcote.
Lupardus, Christian.
Sebring, Jacob.
Barr,
Shearer, — ;
Botmy, James.
Chambers, David.
Manning, Jeremiah.
Manning, William.
Smalley, David.
Combs, Thomas.
Statsors, John.
Conovcr, William.
McCullough, Benjamin
Stelle, Thompson.
Curtis, .
Moore, James.
Stout Samuel.
Dc Bow, James.
Morjjan, James.
Nevms. Peter.
Ten Eyck, Jeremiah.
Dcy, John.
Van Deventer, Jacob.
Dunn« Hugh.
Pain, John.
Van Nest Peter.
Fergruson, Josiah.
Perrinc. Peter.
Van Winkle, Simeon.
Frazier, David.
Piatt, Jacob.
Voorhees, John, Jr.
Freeman, Matthew.
Piatt, ^.
Wentzel, .
Guest, Moses.
Piatt, ^.
Wetherill,
Guest William.
Randolph, Asher Fitz.
Wetherill,
Gulick, Joakim.
Randolph, Nathaniel Fitz.
Williamson. William.
^amott, George,
^iartipcc, WUfiam.'^
Randolph. Reuben.
Ross, Robert
Wood, ,
Woolsey,
Hope, ^.
'" Schenck, John. -^
LIEUTENANTS.
Mersurall, Jacob. /
Barricklo, Farrington.
McDowell, Andrew.
Cape, John.
Morgan, Nicholas.
Schureman, James.
D^, Stephen.
Mount, John.
Skilton, Joseph.
De Groot, William.
Persall, John.
Terhune. Abram.
Drake, John.
Field, Jeremiah.
"ir — r»^iA
Thompson, George.
Thompson, John.
Voorhees, Daniel.
Fisher, Charles.
Voorhees, John L.
Thompson, John.
Gilliiand, David.
Edgar, David.
Lott, George.
Marsh, Ralph.
ENSIGNS.
Barcford, Lewis.
Grove, Samuel.
Phares, Tohn.
Randolph, Lewis F.
Suydam, Hendrick.
Carman, Stephen.
Hampton, John.
Dunn, Ephraim.
Gordon, Archibald.
Morgan, James, Jr.
Digitized by
Google
io6
MIDDLESEX
Lott, Daniel.
Buckalew» Josiah.
Burlew, Josiah.
Covcnhovcn, Peter.
Dalley» John.
Davison, William.
De Hart, William,
Disbrow, Daniel.
Ball, WiUiam.
Crow, Garret
Dunn, John.
Coddington, Robert.
Adams, John.
Addis, Simeon.
Akrer, Archibald.
Allen, Henry.
Allen, Jonathan.
Allison, Seth.
Anderson, John.
Anderson, Joseph.
Appleby, Ambrose.
Applegate, Andrew.
Applegate, Charles.
Applegate, Nathaniel.
Applegate, Noah.
Applegate, Robert (i).
Applegate, Robert (2).
Applegate, Thomas.
Applegate, William.
Applegate, Zebulon.
Armstrong, Robert.
Armstrong, William.
Arnold, James.
Arnold, John.
Arnold, Lewis.
Arvin, James.
Arvin, John.
Arvin, Peter.
Asbondon, William.
AshtcMi, Robert.
Atten, Evert
Attenger, John.
Ayres, Bienjamin.
Ayers, Ezekiel.
Ayres, Jacob.
Ayers, Tedah.
Ayers, Nathan.
Ayers, Reuben.
Ayers, Samuel.
Ajrres, Elric.
Ayres, Lewis.
Ayres, Obadiah.
Ayres, Isaac
Ayres, Phineas.
Badcock, Joseph.
Bailey, Daniel.
Bailey, Richard.
Baker, Cornelius.
CORNET.
SERGEANTS.
Plinn, Benjamin.
Griggs, John.
Lyle, Moses.
Marsh, Joshua.
Messier, Simon.
Mor^^an, Abraham.
Nevius, Peter.
CORPORALS.
Green, John.
Height, David.
Isleton, Jonathan.
FIFERS.
Hortrick, Barent.
PRIVATES.
Baker, John.
Baldwin, Caleb.
Baldwin, Enos.
Baldwin, Woolsey.
Baley, John.
Barclay, Lewis.
Barkelow, Coonro^.
Barkelow, Henry.
Barkels, Farronton.
Barkels, John.
Bastedo, Leo.
Bateman, Daniel.
Bayles, Daniel.
Bayles, Richard.
Bayles, Samuel.
Bennet, Abraham.
Bennet Hendrick.
Bennet William.
Bennington, Israel.
Bercount Daniel.
Bergen, Christian.
Berlew, Abraham.
Bicknel, John.
Bigner, Michael.
Bingle, James.
Bishop, Aaron.
Bishop, James.
Bishop, John.
Bishop, Richard.
Bishop, Shotwell.
Bishop, William.
Bisset, Andrew.
Black, Alexander.
Black, Benjamin.
Blackford, David.
Blackford, Nathan.
Blackford, Phineas.
Blanchard, Clark.
Blanchard, Isaac
Blane. Robert.
Bloodgood, John.
Bloom6eld, Elias.
Bloomfield, Ezekiel.
Bloomfield, John.
Bloomfield, Jonathan.
Bloomfield, Moses.
Nefies, Peter.
Obert Henry.
Sutton, Joseph.
Thompson, James.
Voorhees, William.
Williamson, Isaac
Letts, Francis.
Toms, Michael.
Van Dervcnter, John.
Bloomfield, Nathan.
Bloomfield, Thomas, Jr.
Bloomfield, Thomas, Sr.
Bloomfield, William.
Boice, George.
Bonger, John.
Boorum, Hendrick.
Boorum, lohn.
Boorum, Nicholas.
Borhies, James.
Bowers, John.
Bowman, Andrew.
Bowman, Peter.
Bowne, John.
Bradbury, Hezdciah.
Bradbury, Hosea.
Bradley. Robert
Brecourt, Solomon.
Brewer, Thomas.
Brickcourt, Daniel
Briggs, John.
Britton, Joseph (i).
Britton, Joseph (2).
Broockes, Jonn.
Brotherton, David.
Brotherton, William.
Brower,^ Thomas.
Brown, Benjamin.
Brown, James.
Brown, John.
Brown, Joseph (1).
■ - -' ^•
Brown, Joseph (3).
Brown, Joseph (2)
Brown, Lewis.
Brown, Peter.
Brown, William.
Brown, Zebulon.
Buckalew, Alexander.
Buckalew, Cornelius.
Buckalew, Edward.
Buckalew, Frederick.
Buckalew, Gilbert
Buckalew, Isaac
Buckalew, John.
Buckalew, Peter.
Buckalew, Runyon.
Digitized by VnOOQ IC
MIDDLESEX MEN IN REVOLUTION
107
Bnckalew, Samtiel.
Budcalew, William.
Bullin, James.
Burcourt, David.
Bm-dine, James.
Barding, AbeL
Burlen, Alexander.
Burlen, Edward.
Berlen, Frederick.
Berlen, Frederick, Jr.
Burlen, Gilbert
Burlen, Samuel
Burlen, Thomas.
Burlen, William.
Burlen, Peter.
Burrill, Robert
Burwell, Robert
Cahill, James.
Cambum, Joseph.
Camp, John.
Campbell, Benajah.
Campbell, Dugal.
Campbell, Eliscus.
Campbell, Ellis R.
Campbell, John.
Campbell, Lewis.
Campbell, Nathaniel.
Campbell, Robert.
Campbell, Spencer.
Cafon, LevL
Cafon, Robert.
Carlisle, William.
Carman, Richard.
Carr, Samuel
Carson, Joseph.
Carter, Richard.
Caterline, Ebenezer.
Caywood, John.
Caywood, Thomas.
Caywood, William.
Celly, Jesse.
Chamberlain, John.
Chamberlain, Joseph.
Chamberlain, Lewis.
Chambers, James.
Chapman, Daniel
Chapman, James.
Childs, John.
Cheeseman, John. .
Cheeseman, Joseph.
Cheeseman, Samuel.
Cheeseman, William.
Cheeseman, Zachariah.
Clark, Alexander.
Clark, Benjamin.
Clark, Eli.
Clark, Peter.
Clark, William.
Clarkson, Jeremiah.
Garkson, Randolph.
Clarkson, Iraker.
Garkson, James.
Garkson, Lewis.
Clinton, James.
Cock, John.
Coddington, Enoch.
Coddington, James.
Coddington, John.
Coll^^, Joseph.
Coloni, Caleb.
Combs, Jonathan.
Combs, Samuel.
Combs, Stephen.
Combs, William.
iCompton, Ephraim.
ICompton, Gabriel.
ICompton, John.
Compton, Samuel
Con, Elisha.
Condon, John.
Conger, David.
Conger, John.
Conger, Jonathan.
Connel, Michael
Connelly, John.
Connelly, Ned.
Connelly, William.
Cook, David.
Cook, Elisha.
Cook, Peter.
Cornelius, John ^i)
Cornelius, John (2).
Cornell, Peter.
Cornell, Roeliff.
Cornell, Elisha.
Cornell, Abraham.
Corriell, David.
Corsat, Anthony.
Cortelyou, Hann.
Cortelyou, John.
Cortelyou, Roeliff.
Cotheal, Alexander.
Covenhoven, Francis.
Covenhoven, Garret.
Covenhoven, John.
Covenhoven, Lucas.
Covenhoven, Restes.
Covenhoven, William.
Covert, John.
Covert, Thomas.
Craig, Daniel T.
Craig, David.
Crane, Seth.
Craw, Thomas.
Crawford, William G.
Creasey, Alexander.
Creasey, William.
Creasey, Andrew.
Crow, Abraham.
Crow, Eleseus.
Crowell, David.
Crowell, Edward.
Crowell, Joseph.
Cuffee, Amos.
Culver, Nathaniel
Culvert, Azariah.
Cutter, John.
Cutter, Kelsey.
Cutter, Samuel
Cutter, Stephen.
Dally, Jeremiah.
Dalty, Samuel
Daniels, Jeremiah.
Daniels, Randolph.
Damets, Richard.
Davidson, George.
Davidson, |ohn.
Davis, Benjamin.
Davis, David Rhay.
Davis, Edmond.
Davis, John.
Davis, Lewis.
Davis, Nathan.
Davis, Peter.
Davison, James.x
Davison, Jediah.
Davison, TepthaJ
Davison, John.
Davison, Thomas.
Davison, William.
Dean, Abraham.
Dean, Daniel
Dean, Jacob.
Drake, Abram.
Drake, Benjamin.
Drake, Cheeseman.
Drake, Chesur.
Drake, Elisha.
Drake, Ephraim.
Drake, George.
Drake, Joseph.
Drake, Samuel.
Drake, Simon.
Dungan, Samuel
Dtmham, Asher.
Dunham, Davis.
Dunham, Elijah.
Dunham, Enoch.
Dunham, Frazee.
Dunham, Jacob.
Dunham, Jehu.
Dunham, John ^i).
Dunham, John (2).
Dunham, Jonathan.
Dunham, Joseph.
Dunham, Joshua.
Dunham, Samuel.
Duryea, Frederick.
Duryea, John.
Dunn, Benjamin.
Dunn, Clawson.
Dunn, Daniel
Dunn, Enoch.
Dunn, EphrainL
Dunn, Gershom.
Dunn, Ichabod.
Dunn, Isaac.
Dunn, James F.
Dunn, Jeremiah.
Dunn, Toel.
Dunn, Moses.
Dunn, Philip.
Dunn, Reuben.
Dunn, Thomas.
Dye, Amos.
Dye, Daniel.
Dye, James.
Dye, John.
Dye, Joseph.
Dye, Lawrence.
Dye, Thomas.
Digitized by
Google
io8
MIDDLESEX
Eastburn, Robert
Eastburn, Thomas.
Eastwood, Amariah.
Edgar, Tames.
Edgar, William.
Egbert, James.
Egbert, Lewis.
Egerton, Matthew.
Ellason, Daniel
Ellason, Joseph.
Ellason, Samuel
Ellason, Seth.
Elliott Daniel
Ellis, Joseph.
Ellison, Samud.
Elston, Andrew.
Emmons, Isaac.
English, David.
English, Robert.
Ensley, Daniel.
Erwin, John.
Estle, William.
Evans, Crowell
Evans, James.
Evans, William.
Everingham, John.
Farey, Amariah.
Farmer, George.
Farmer, Jasper.
Farmer, Nathan.
Farmer, Peter.
Feather, John.
Field, Benjamin.
Field, Dennis.
Field, Elnathan.
Field, Jeremiah B.
Field, John.
Field, John B.
Field, Jonathan.
Field, Richard.
Field, Richard R.
Fisher, Jacob.
Fisher, John.
Fisher. William.
Flat. John.
Flood, Stephen.
Force, Samuel.
Force, Thomas P.
Fordyce, John.
Forman, Isaac
Foster, Nathaniel
Fourat, Henry.
Frazee, Benson.
Frazee, Hiram.
Frazee, Morris.
Frazee, Moses.
Frazy, Benjamin.
Fredenburgh, Wm.
Garrits, John.
Garritson, John.
Garritson. Peter.
Gibbs, John.
Gibson, David.
Gibson, Richard.
Gibson, William.
Gilliland, David.
Gilliland, Matthew.
Gillman, Charles.
Gillman, John.
Gillman, John, Jr.
Gilmore, Charles.
Godden, Amos.
Goodwin, Amos.
Gordon, Archable.
Gordon, Ezeldel
Gordon, James.
Gordon, Samuel.
Gordon, William.
Graham, James.
Griffith, Jc^n.
Griggs, James.
Griggs, Samuel
Griggs, Thomas.
Grove, John.
Grove, Robert
Grove, Samuel.
Grosvendike, John.
Grosvendike, Samuel
Guest, Henry.
Guest, John.
Gulacar, Lewis.
Gulidc, Abram J.
Gulick, Benjamin.
Gulick, Cornelius.
Gulick, James.
Gulick, Peter.
Gume, John.
Hagerman, Barret
Hagerman, Garret.
Hagerman, Henry.
Halfpenny, Isaac
Halfpenny, James.
Halfpenny, John.
Hall, William.
Hampton, James.
Hansell, Anthony.
Harber, Edward.
Harber, Obadiah.
Harbourt. Edward.
Harculus, William.
Harriott, Samuel.
Harris, David.
Harrison. George.
Harrison, Isaac.
Hart Cornelius D.
Hartman, Christian.
Hartman, Conrad.
Hartman, Cornelius.
Hatfield, John.
Hank, Jacob.
Haybadc, Solomon.
Hazling, Richard.
Hedden, Jos.
Hendrickson, Cornelius.
Hendrickson, Oaky.
Herbert. Obediah.
Herbert, Robert
Herrod, Samuel.
Higbey, Henry.
Higbey, John.
Higbey, Obadiah.
Higgins, Jediah.
High, Nathan.
Hight, John N.
HiU, John.
Hillyard, Wm.
Hinds, William.
Hoagland, Abram.
Hoagland, John.
Hoagland, William.
Hobbs, David.
Holeman, Thomas.
Holl, Jacob.
HoUoway, Richard.
Holten, Ephraim.
Holton, Jos.
Holton, Peter.
Hooper, William.
Horn, John.
Horn, Stephen.
Horn, William.
Homer, Timothy.
Hartwick, J<An.
Houke, Tobias.
Hudson, Nathaniel.
Hudson, Samuel.
Hulick, Henry.
Hulidc, John.
Hulct, WUlUm.
Hull, Benjamin.
Hull John.
Hull, Reuben.
Hulst, John.
Hulst William.
Hunt, James.
Hutchings, Isaac
Hutchinson. Cornelius.
Huyler, William.
Isleton, Matthew.
Isleton, Samuel
Jackson, Lewis.
~ames, Thomas.
amison, Alexander.
aouish, Jonathan.
enries. John.
_ewell, Ichabod.
Jewell, William.
Job, Richard,
obs, Samuel
Johnson, Andrew,
ohnson, Barrent
Johnson, John.
Johnson, Lewis.
Johnson, William.
Johnson, Jacob.
Jonas, John.
Jones, David.
Jones, James.
Jordon, John.
Jomey, John.
Keenan, Peter B.
Kelly, Abraham.
Kelly, Jesse.
Kemp, John.
Kent, Phineas.
King, George.
Kinsey, James.
Kipp, Robert.
Knowles, Jesse.
Knox, Joseph.
Lain, Abraham.
Digitized by
Google
MIDDLESEX MEN IN REVOLUTION
109
Lainff, Abraham.
Laird, Richard.
Lake, Benjamin.
Lake, William.
Lambert, David.
Lambertson, Cornelius.
Lambertson, David.
Lambertson, Elijah.
Lambertson, Garret
Lambertson, John.
Lambertson, Joshua.
Lambertson, Simon.
Lambertson, Thomas.
Lane, Isaac
Lane, Jacob.
Lane, John.
Langstaff, Henry.
Langstaff, James.
Langstaff, John.
Leach, Richard.
Leforge, Benjamin.
Leonard, William.
Leonard, William (2).
Lester, Samuel.
Letts, Elijah.
Letts, Elisha.
Letts, John.
Letts, William.
Lewis, Joha
Lickrsin, Jacob.
Light, Peter.
Ule, John, Sr.
Lile, John, Jr.
Lile, Moses.
Lincoln, John.
Lurcom, Jacob.
Ltircom, John.
Lipes, John.
Lisk, John.
Liston, John.
Levins, Richard.
Livingston, William.
Livingston, Robert.
Loiskerom, Jacob.
Longstreet, Aaron.
Longstreet, Samuel
Lorton, James.
Lorton, John.
Lott, Abraham.
Lott, Gershom.
Lott, Henry.
Lott, John.
Lott, Peter.
Loughborough, John.
Loucherry, Elias.
Low, Benjamin.
Luke, John.
Luker, Benjamin.
Luston, Jonathan.
Lusbay, Abraham.
Lyon, William.
Magee, James.
Manning, Andrew.
Manning, Benjamin.
Manning, Enoch.
Manning, David.
Manning, John, Sr.
Manning, John, Jr.
Manning, Phineas.
Manning, Samuel.
Manning, Thomas.
Maple, Stephen.
Maple, William.
Martin, Nathaniel.
Martin, Benjamin.
Martin, Daniel.
Martin, David.
Martin, Eliakim.
Martin, Gershom.
Martin, Irenais.
Martin, Isaac
Martin, James.
"Martin, John.
Martin, Joshua.
Martin, Lewis.
Martin, Merrick.
Martin, Michael.
Martin, Moses.
Martin, Mulford.
Martin, Nathan.
Martin, Nathaniel.
Martin, Robert.
Martin, William.
Mason, William.
Matterson, Aaron.
Mattison, Jacob. ^
McAfee, Benjamin.
McAfee, Richard.
McDowell, Thomas.
McFadden, Connoly.
McGee, John.
McGee, William.
Melvin, Daniel.
Melvin, George.
Melvin, John.
Melvin, Thomas.
Merrill, Richard.
Mershon, Henry.
Mershon, Robert.
. Mershon, William.
Messerol, Charles.
Messerol, Jacob.
Messerol, John.
Messerol, Nicholas.
Messerol, Peter.
Messerol, William.
Messier, Abram.
Mickel, John.
Miers, John.
Miller, Holsc
Miller, Marsh.
Miller, Noah.
Minor, William.
Mitchell, John.
Moon, Jacob.
Moore, David.
Moore, James.
Moore, Matthias.
Moore, Samuel.
Morehead, Andrew.
Morgan, Abraham.
Morgan, John.
Morgan, Fhilip.
Morgan, Ephraim.
Morgan, Elijah.
Morris, John.
Morris, Randolph.
Morris, Reuben.
Morris, William.
Morrison, James.
Morse, Randolph.
Morton, Joseph.
Moses, Randolph.
Moss, James.
Mount, Hezekiah.
Mount, Humphrey.
Mount, Josepn.
Mount, Richard.
Mount, William.
Mulford, James.
Mullen, William.
Munday, Benjamin.
Munday, Clarkson.
Munday, Gabriel.
Munday, Henry.
Munday, Martin.
Munday, Nicholas.
Munday, Peter.
Munday, Reuben.
Munday, Samuel.
Myers, John.
Myler, Cornelius.
Myseler, Simon.
Neifes, Garret W.
Neifes, John.
Neifus, William.
Nephus, Jacob.
Nevins, Peter, Sr.
Nevins, Peter, Jr.
Newton, Gilbert
Newton, William.
Nickolds, Lewis.
Nickson, Alexander.
Nifius, Garret.
Nixon, Richard.
Noe, Andrew.
Noe, James.
Noe, John.
Norris, William.
Oakley, Abraham.
Obart, George.
Obart, John.
Obart, Peter.
Obert, George.
Ockeman, Garline.
Ockeman, John.
Ogden, Benjamin.
Ogden, John.
Olden, John.
Orman, Benjamin.
Orman, Stephen.
Outsell, Frederick.
Overt, George.
Pack, Edward.
Pain, Isaac.
Pangbom, Peter.
Pangbom, William.
Panoman, Peter.
Parker, John.
Parr, Thomas.
Patrick, Samuel.
Digitized by
Google
no
MIDDLESEX
Paul, John.
Paul, BenjamiiL
Pearson, Benjamin P.
Pence, William.
Perrine, Andrew.
Perrine, Daniel.
Perrine, Henry.
Perrine, John.
Perrine, Joseph.
Perrine, Matthew.
Perrine, William.
Perry, Thomas.
Pettit, Daniel.
Pettit, David.
Pettit, Edward.
Petty, Andrew.
Phares, Amariah.
Phares, Andrew.
Phillips, Ralph.
Piatt, John.
Pike, Asher.
Pike, James.
Pike, Thomas.
^Plum, John.
Porter, Nathaniel.
• Potter, Enoch.
Potter, Gilbert
Potter, Joseph.
Potter, Robert
Potts, Samuel.
Powell, Thomas.
Powclson, Powell.
Powers, John.
Pricket, Isaac.
Pricket, John.
Pricket, Stephen.
Pricket William.
Prolan, Garret
Provost David.
Provost Jasper.
Provost John.
Provost, Jonathan.
Provost Peter.
Quackenboss, Isaac
Ray, John.
Reclan, John.
Reanalds, James.
Reed, James.
Reed. Peter.
Reed, John.
Rice, Richard.
Richmond, William.
Richero (?)» Abraham.
Rino, William.
Robbins, Jesse.
Robertson, Joseph.
Robinson, Andrew.
Roe. Asabel.
Roff, Ebenezer.
Rolajn, George.
Rolen, James.
Roler, George.
Roler, William.
Rolle, Moses.
Rose, William.
Ross, Isaac.
Ross, John.
Ross, William.
Rowland, Jacob.
Rowlinson, William.
Rue, Matthew.
Runnals, Jas.
Runyan, Asa.
Runyan, Enoch.
Runyan, Hugh.
Runyan, Job.
Runyan, Richard.
Ryder, Bemardus.
Ryder, Garret.
Ryder, John.
Ryder, William.
Ryon, William.
Salard, Benjamin.
Sanderson, John.
Sands, Jos.
Sarvis, David.
"Schenck, Garret ^
Schenck, Jos.
Schenck, Peter F.
^Schendc, Rodoff. .^
Schureman, Abraham.
Scott, John.
Scott, Thomas.
Scott Wflliam.
Sebring, George.
Sedam, James.
Sedam, Ryke.
Selleler, William.
Selover, Isaac.
Service, John.
Service, Joseph.
Service, William.
Sharp, Jonathan.
Shaw, David.
Sheldon, Ephraim.
Shippey, John.
Sherd, Hugh.
Shotwell, Manning.
Shubart James.
Shubart, John.
Simpson^ Abraham.
"^Skillman, Jacob.
Skinner, John.
Skinner, William.
Skitton, Thomas.
Slayback. Abel.
Slover, John.
Smalley, John.
Smith, Andrew.
Smith, Gideon.
Smith, Hezekiah.
Smith, Jeremiah.
Smith, John.
Smith, Simeon.
Smith, William.
Smock, Hendrick.
Smock. Robert.
Snap, George.
Snedeker, Cornelius.
Snedeker, Garret.
Snedeker, Isaac. ^^
Snedeker, Jacob.
Snedeker, John.
Soden, John.
Soden, Thomas.
Solomon, John.
Sofer, Benjamin.
Sofer, Jonathan.
Sofer, Joseph.
Sofer, Reuben.
Soulan, Benjamin.
South, Elijah.
South, Isaac.
South, William.
Southard, Zachariah.
Sparling, Abraham.
Sparling, Isaac
Sparling, James.
Sparling, John.
Spading, Jos.
Sparling, Peter.
Spencer, Jos.
Stanbury, Joshua.
Stanley, Isaac.
Starkey, William.
SteUe, Abel.
Stelle, Isaac.
Stelle, Jacob.
Stelle, Jonah.
Stelle, Jos.
Stelle, Samuel.
Stephens, Jos.
Stephenson, John.
Stephenson, William.
Stewart David.
Stillwelt DanieL
Stimas, Christian.
Stinton, Jos.
Stone, David.
Stone, William.
Stonekcr, John.
Storey, DanieL
Storey, John.
Storey, William.
Stotehoff, Peter.
Stout Abd.
Stout John.
Strieker, Cornelius.
Stulte, Henry.
Stultz, Jacob.
Stultz, Peter.
Sudam, J(^n.
Sullivan, Patrick.
Sunderland, Thomas.
Sunderlin, John.
Suri, William.
Sutphen, Dirck.^
Sutphen, James.
Sutphen, James (2).
Sutton, Henry.
Sutton, Henry (2)".
Sutton, Jeany.
Sutton, John.
Sutton, Joseph.
Sutton, Nihemiah.
Sutton, Peter.
Sutton, Peter (2).
Sutton, William. ^
Suydam, Cornelius.
Suydam, Charles.
Suydam, Jacob.
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MIDDLESEX MEN IN REVOLUTION
III
Suydaxn, Simon.
Swart, Baltus.
Swart, Stephen.
Talmage, Thomas.
Tallyon, Peter.
Tomton, Francis.
Tappan, Abraham.
Tam>an, Isaac.
Taylor, Lewis.
Taylor. William.
Ten Broeck, William.
Tewell, Enoch.
Tharp, Baker.
Tharp, Benjamin.
Thaxton, John.
Thomas, William.
Thompson, William.
Thomson, Charles.
Thomson, Cornelius.
Thomson, David.
Thomson, Hugh.
Thomson, James.
Thomson, John.
Thom, Richard.
Thormell, Benjamin.
Thormell, Israel
Thorp, Jonathan.
Till, Peter.
Tillny, Peter.
Tindall, John.
Tindall, Richard.
Tindall, William.
Tombs, Lewis.
Totten, John.
Totten, Thomas.
Touratee, Peter.
Toy, John.
Trembley, Alexander.
Trout, Jacob.
Turner, Daniel.
Underdunk, Isaac
Updyke, Clement
Updyke, William.
Van Arsdalen, John.
Van Arsdale, Urias.
Van Campen, Gideon.
-Van Geaf, Michael.
Van Derbeck, Benjamin.
Van Derhoven, James.
Van Derveer, Abraham.
Van Derventer, Christian
Van Derventer, Isaac
Van Derventer, Jacob.
Van Derventer, James.
Van Deursen, William.
Van Dyke, Hendrick.
Van Harlingen, John.
Van Hess, Garret
Van Hess, John.
Van Kirk, Arthur.
Van Kirk, Jameson.
Van Kirk, William.
Van Zandt, John.
Van Lew, Frederick.
Van Mickler, John.
Van Nest, Henry.
Van Nice, John.
Van Nortwick, Samuel
Van Orsdol, Cornelius.
Van Orsdol, Isaac
Van Orsdol, Jacob.
Van Orsdol, John.
Van Ostrand, John.
Van Pelt, Joseph.
Van Pelt, John.
Van Pelt, Jacob.
Van Pelt Isaac
Van Pelt, AbrahanL
Van Sickle, John.
Van Sickle, Stephen.
Van Tilbui^, Henry.
Van Tilburgh, John.
Van Tilbur^, William.
Vantine, AbrahanL
Vantine, Ephraim.
Vantine, Isaac
Van Winkler, Everet.
Van Zandt Peter.
Vaugh, Jacob.
Vliet William.
Voorhees, Abraham.
Voorhees, James J.
Voorhees, James R.
Voorhees, James.
Voorhees, Nicholas.
Voorhees, William.
Voorhees, Garret R.
Voorhees, Jacob.
Voorhees, Martines.
Voorhees, Daniel
Voorhees, John R.
Vreeland, Abraham.
Waldron, Chris.
Walker, Asher.
Walker, Francis.
Walker, Robert
Walker, Samuel.
Wall, James.
Wartenby, William.
Wartenabe, William.
Watre, Jacob.
Webster. Thomas.
White, John.
White, Samuel
Whitehead, Moses.
Whitehead, Samuel
Whitlock, William.
-Wickoff, Garret.
Widcoff, Jacob.
Wilcocks, Isaacs
Wilkins, Jeptha.
Willett Hawsthom.
Willett Samuel
Williams, Isaac
Williams, Stephen.
Williamson, Henry.
Willis, Henry.
Willis, Joseph.
Willis, Samuel.
JVillock, William.
hnouth, Lazarus:
Wilson, Daniel.
Wilson, Garret.
Wilson, Isaac
Woghun, John.
Wooding, James.
Wortman, David.
Wright Smith.
Wyckoff, John.
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EMIGRANTS EN ROUTE TO THE WESTERN COUNTRY
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CHAPTER XIV.
AFTER THE WAR
The long and arduous struggle for liberty and independence was at
last ended. Freed from all foreign domination, with a vast territory in
possession, with a prospect of advancement in wealth and population,
the momentous question to be settled was a unity of action amongst
the former colonies. The days of reconstruction had come, and the
next step in national greatness was the welding of the various sectional
difficulties into a form of universal government that would maintain the
prestige of a nation. In the southern tier of colonies now operating
under State governments, the important issue was the preservation of
slavery, while those of the northern tier in many cases had promulgated
laws leading to the abolishment of this evil. The long and destructive
war had exhausted the resources of the country, trade and commerce
were destroyed, the mechanics were ruined, agriculture was withered,
and the relations of man to man, hardly defined by law, were not recog-
nized and acted upon on the principles of justice and equity. A moun-
tain of debt pressed upon the people, and they were on the very brink
of anarchy and political destruction. Here was a crisis to be met, as
the Articles of Confederation under which the war had been prosecuted
in the latter years of the Revolution possessed no power to effect and
maintain a permanent union of the States.
The Continental Congress, while it had the power to make and con-
clude treaties, could only recommend the observance of them. It could
appoint ambassadors, but could not defray their expenses ; could borrow
money on the faith of the Union, but they could not pay a dollar ; could
make war and determine on the number of troops necessary, but could
not raise a single soldier. For years efforts were made by those most
interested in a State government to enlarge the powers of the Continental
Congress, but their efforts failed on account of State jealousies and
interests. Therefore the Confederation was fast expiring of its own
debility. Difficulties arose with foreign nations, a commercial treaty
could not be effected with Great Britain, and Spain would not allow
the free navigation of the Mississippi river until the limits of Louisiana
and the Floridas were definitely settled. Meanwhile the Valley of the
West was filling up with great rapidity, and the people of that region
were fearful that their interests would be sacrificed to the commercial
policy of the Atlantic States. Many amongst the most prominent char-
acters of the country advocated a monarchial form of government.
The first concessions made by the States, which was the forerunner of
the formation of a republican form of government, was made by Vir-
llSd-8
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114 MIDDLESEX
ginia, which in March, 1784, ceded all her claims to the Northwestern
Territory to Congress. This act was followed by New York, Massachu-
setts, Connecticut and South Carolina, making like concessions of their
northwest territories, which culminated in the celebrated Ordinance
for the Government of the Northwestern Territory passed by Congress,
July 12, 1787, and its principles were the foundation of the civil polity
of a considerable portion of the country.
In the older States, two great parties were formed which pursued
distinct objects with systematic arrangement, which have been described
by the eminent jurist, John Marshall, in the following words :
The one struggled for the exact observance of public and private con-
tracts. Those who composed it were the uniform friends of the regular
administration of justice and of a vigorous course of taxation which
would enable the State to comply with its engagements. By a natural
association of ideas they were also in favor of enlarging the powers of
the federal government, and of enabling it to protect the dignity and the
character of the nation abroad and its interest at home. The other party
marked out for themselves a more indulgent course. They were uni-
formly in favor of relaxing the administration of justice, of affording
facilities for the payment of debts, and of suspending their collection and
of remitting taxes. The same course of opinion led them to resist every
attempt to transfer from their own hands into those of Congress, powers
which others deemed essential to the preservation of the Union.
Wherever this party was predominant, the emission of paper money, the
delay of legal proceedings and the suspension of taxes, were the fruits of
their rule. Even where they failed to carry their measures, their strength
was such as to encourage the hope of succeeding in a future attempt.
Throughout the Union, the contests between these parties were annually
revived, and the public mind was perpetually agitated with hopes and
fears on subjects which affected essentially the fortunes of a considerable
portion of society. This instability in principles which ought to be ren-
dered immutable, produced a long train of ills ; and is believed to have
been among the operating causes of those pecuniary embarrassments
which influenced the legislation of almost every State. The wise and
thinking part of the community who could trace evils to their source,
labored unceasingly to inculcate opinions favorable to the incorporation
of some principles into the political system, which might correct its
obvious vices, without endangering its free spirit.
In this deplorable state of affairs, an initiating step was taken by the
.Assembly of Virginia, which appointed commissioners to consider the
state of the trade of the United States, and to meet with commissioners
from the other States at Annapolis, Maryland, in September, 1786. This
meeting was held, the convention consisting of only two commissioners
from New York, three from New Jersey, one from Pennsylvania, three
from Delaware, and three from Virginia. Nothing was done with ref-
erence to the especial object of the meeting, but a second convention
was recommended to meet at Philadelphia in the following May for the
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AFTER THE WAR 115
revision of the Constitution of the Federal Government to render it ade-
quate to the exigencies of the Union.
Congress did not at first view the resolution of this convention
favorably, being in doubt whether it was constitutional on account of
its not originating in that body as provided by the Articles of Confeder-
ation. Their views, owing to the acts of armed insurgents against the
laws of some of the States, tended to produce a reaction in their decision ;
accordingly, they passed a resolution recommending the States to elect
delegates to the convention. Acting under the authority, the several
States except Rhode Island proceeded to the appointment of delegates
to the Federal Convention.
A number of the deputies to the Federal Convention appeared on May
14, 1787, at the State House, in the city of Philadelphia. A majority of the
States, however, were not represented, and an adjournment was taken
until May 25th, when nine States were represented and the convention
was duly organized. The New Jersey delegation was headed by William
Livingston, who had succeeded the renegade governor William Franklin,
and had been the able executive head of the State government during
the period of the Revolution. The Middlesex county representative
in the delegation were John Neilson and William Paterson ; the former,
however, failed to attend the convention.
In the proceedings of the convention, William Paterson took an
important part. He introduced on June 15th a set of nine resolutions
which became known as the New Jersey Plan. They differed from
the Virginia Plan, as they favored only one branch of the Legislature,
whose powers were derived from the States; instead of one executive
head, it favored several. This became known as the State Sovereignty
Plan. Although this failed to meet the endorsement of a majority of the
delegates, it formed the basis of a compromise.
William Paterson, the introducer of the New Jersey Plan, was a
native of Ireland, and in 1747, then being only two years of age, came
to America with his parents. The elder Paterson located at Trenton,
afterwards at Princeton, finally at Raritan (now Somerville). Young
Paterson graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1763, read law
under Richard Stockton, and was admitted to the bar in 1769. He first
practiced in Bromley, Hunterdon county; removing to Princeton, he
ivas associated with his father and brother in a mercantile business. The
year 1775 marked the commencement of his public career, when he was
chosen delegate to the Provincial Congress; he was secretary of that
body at its two sessions, also of the Congress that met at Burlington
in 1776. On the organization of the State government, he became attor-
ney-general, which was a hazardous position, as in performance of his
duties he was obliged to attend the courts in the various counties, thus
exposing himself to capture by British soldiers. On the restoration of
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ii6 MIDDLESEX
peace, he took up his residence in New Brunswick and resumed his
law practice On the formation of the Federal Constitution he became
one of two senators from New Jersey. This seat he resigned after per-
forming its duties for a single year, to become governor of New Jersey.
During his leisure time for the next six years he codified the statutes of
Great Britain, which prior to the Revolution were in force in New Jersey,
together with those enacted by the State Legislature before and after
separation from the Mother Country. While engaged in this task he
was appointed by President Washington as associate justice of the
Supreme Court of the United States. His last judicial act was to pre-
side in the United States Circuit Court in New York in April, 1806 ; his
health was now visibly declining, and he withdrew from all active con-
cerns, and died September 9, 1806.
The Federal Constitution was unanimously ratified by the convention
of New Jersey, December 17, 1787, this action being only preceded by
the conventions of Delaware and Pennsylvania. Thus New Jersey
became an integral part of a constituted federal government, and the
inhabitants of Middlesex county, as one of the units of the State, became
a progressive and prosperous community, and, as the future years flowed
on, to increase in wealth and enterprise due to the stability of her indus-
tries and the loyal, energetic efforts of her citizens.
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CHAPTER XV.
FIRST HALF OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.
In the days of Washington, the people's adoration for the Nation's
defender and a successful termination of their war troubles precluded
any political division or the formation of rival political parties. The
leaders of the then so-called Federalist party in many cases were well
known to the citizens of Middlesex count>'. Washington during his Rev-
olutionary career had often been seen by the people within its limits.
Hamilton in his early youth was a student at an academy in Elizabeth-
town, and in the military movements later in New Jersey took an active
part.
The New England aristocrat Adams in his frequent official visits to
the Continental Congress and while Vice-President, passed through New
Brunswick on his journey to the national capital. At the expiration of
Washington's second term as President, Adams became his logical suc-
cessor, and it was not until towards the end of his presidential term,
when he natiu-ally was a candidate for reelection, that any decided oppo-
sition to his continuance in office commenced to be demonstrated.
Thomas Jefferson, who was the first to fill the office of Secretary of State
in Washingfton's administration, resigned in 1793. The following year,
on being offered an appointment, he replied, "No circumstances will ever
more tempt me to engage in anything public." But notwithstanding this
determination, he became a candidate in 1800 for the presidency of the
country.
The administration of Adams had been turbulent and in no way har-
monious for the country. Though the second President of the United
States was a man of ability and purity of character, he was also quick,
inflammable, sanguine, impatient of opposition, and desirous of popular
applause. The attitude of affairs with respect to France on his accession
to office was by no means free from difficulty and danger. Many of the
members of Congress advocated open hostilities with that country.
Washington was persuaded to become the commander of an army to
operate against France. The Naval Department was formed, and author-
ity was given to the President to borrow $5,000,000 for the public service.
While these arbitrary actions were popular with the masses, the Federal
party by the passage of the alien and sedition laws by Congress in 1798
received a setback that hastened and ultimately caused its downfall. The
opposition party in Congress at this time was known as the Republican
party, and, being in the minority, retired from active duty, waited their
time for a favorable opportunity to bring their views of State power and
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ii8 MIDDLESEX
influence to bear upon the people. The year 1799 opened with extensive
military preparations for war ; the elections held that year had resulted
in favor of the Federalists, this being especially the case in the South,
where considerable changes had taken place in favor of the government.
Jefferson and his colleagues were energetically placing the doctrines
of the Republican party before the people, and the opposition of Hamil-
ton and his followers to Adams' reelection, the latter boldly denouncing
that portion of the Federal party who did not favor his measures, as a
British faction, were the forerunners of an exciting presidential election
in 1800. In the election in the State of New York for members of the
Legislature in the early part of that year, the political parties were nearly
equally balanced. Hamilton, as the leader of the Federalists, was opposed
by Aaron Burr, who devoted himself to harmonizing the differences
amongst the Republicans, and by his political astuteness and ability
succeeded in electing the candidates of that party to the State Legisla-
ture. Though this was a decided victory, this defeat of the Federal party
in national politics was not lessened by the results of the New York elec-
tion. There was a decided opposition to the nomination of Adams few-
President, but the Federal members of Congress held a caucus in May,
1800, which resulted in the selection of John Adams and Charles Cotes-
worth Pickney as their candidates. The Republicans placed their depend-
ence for success on Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr.
The political parties were known as the Anglo-Federal, the Simple
Federalists, and Republican parties. In Middlesex county, Jefferson was
denounced as an atheist and an enemy to all revealed religion. By his
election to the office of President, the claims were made that he would
become a hereditary president with unlimited power and a permanent
autocracy. The Republican candidate for the council was James Morgan,
who was opposed on the Federal ticket by Ephraim Martin. The nomi-
nees of the Republicans for the Assembly were : John Heard, Phineas
Manning, John Morgan, and Joseph Randolph. Those named for that
office on the Federal ticket were John Neilson, Gershom Dunn, William
Edgar and Benjamin Manning. The Federalists were triumphant in
New Jersey, and their candidates for the Council and Assembly were
elected in Middlesex county.
The counting of the electoral votes by the United States Senate
resulted in Jackson and Burr receiving each a total of seventy-three
votes, which was a clear majority of the whole number. This resulted in
carrying the choice for President to the House, each State to be entitled
to one vote, which on the thirty-sixth ballot resulted in favor of Thomas
Jefferson for President and Aaron Burr for Vice-President. In this
election, Hamilton and the Federalist leaders were actively engaged, as
they considered Jefferson a far less dangerous man than Burr. Hamilton
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EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY 119
claimed that Jefferson had some pretensions to character, while Burr was
devoid of any principles whatsoever only for his own aggrandizement,
comparing and naming him as the "Cataline of America." Hamilton was
thus able by his severe denunciations of Burr to overcome the bitter
repugnance of the Federalists to Jefferson, which resulted in his choice
for President. The Republican press was jubilant over the final election
of Jefferson and Burr, and their encomiums were of an extravagant
nature, as follows : "Resplendently Glorious, a complete victory obtained
by virtue over vice, republicanism over autocracy, and the consequent
downfall of Hamiltonians, Pickeronians, British agents and old Tories."
In the election for Governor following the inauguration of Jefferson
as President, the Republicans succeeded in electing a native of Middlesex
county to that office. Joseph Bloomfield was esteemed as a sound legis-
lator and a judicious leader. As a presidential elector in 1792, he voted
for Washingfton and Adams, but soon afterwards became an avowed
opponent of Adams and, becoming friendly with Jefferson, he became a
leader of the Republicans in New Jersey. In 1801 he was elected Gov-
ernor, and was reelected each succeeding election until 1812, excepting in
1802, when there was a tie for the office between himself and Richard
Stockton, and for a year the duties of that office was performed by the
vice-president of the council. Governor Bloomfield was bom in Wood-
bridge, in 1755, attended a classical school, studied law, and was admit-
ted to the bar. He resigned from the Continental army in 1778, having
been commissioned a major. His political and official life commenced
with his discharge from the army, continuing until near the time of his
death at Burlingfton, New Jersey, October 3, 1825.
In the fifth presidential election, while the Republicans carried New
Jersey for Jefferson and Clinton, the Federalists in Middlesex county
were successful in electing their candidates to the Assembly by an aver-
age majority of one hundred and fifty votes. The Assembly was, how-
ever, controlled by the Republicans, the only other counties in the State
represented by Federalists being Bergen, Burlington and Cape May
counties, the Assembly standing thirty-eight Republicans to fifteen Fed-
eralists.
Toward the close of Jefferson's second administration, the embargo
question with all its perplexing ramifications not only occupied the atten-
tion of Congress, but was a vital factor in the political life of the country.
The mooted question whether Jefferson would be a candidate for a third
term was finally settled by his fixed determination to retire to private life.
He allowed his mantle to fall upon his favorite, James Madison, who with
George Clinton became the Republican candidates. The Federalists,
divided as a party, with hardly any chance of success, selected General
C. C. Pinckney and Rufus Kng as their candidates. Middlesex county
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I20 MIDDLESEX
still remained true to her Federalist attachments, the electors of that
party receiving 1551 votes to 1216 cast for the Republican candidates.
James Voorhees, James Parker, and George Boice were elected on the
Federalist ticket to the Assembly, with majorities averaging 331.
James Parker, mentioned above, was a leader in public affairs. He
was a descendant of Elisha Parker, a pioneer of Woodbridg^, from Mas-
sachusetts, and a son of James Parker, a leading citizen of Perth Amboy,
a captain in the French and Indian War, who afterwards was engaged as
a merchant in New York and was for many years mayor of his native
city. A man of large landed property and vigorous intellect, he was one
of the founders of the American Episcopal church in New Jersey.
James the younger was a man of great ability and public note. He
graduated from Columbia College, New York, in 1793, but on account of
the death of his father when he was only twenty-one years of age he
became the virtual head of his family. He managed the large landed
interests left by his father, which his intimately practical knowledge of
law and sagacious mind fitted him to perform. His entrance into public
life was in 1806. A thorough Federalist, he was, nevertheless, not a par-
tisan, and this with his independence, integrity and remarkable capacity
made him exceedingly influential. He was a statesman as well as a
speaker, one of the originators of the fund for free schools, a leader in the
prohibition of the domestic slave trade. In 1790 one-twelfth of the popu-
lation of the United States were slaves. The gradual emancipation act in
the early part of the nineteenth century was adopted in the Northern
States. In New Jersey there was an organized movement to abolish
slavery as early as 1786, when the New Jersey Abolition Society, com-
posed mostly of Quakers, received a charter from the Legislature.
Mr. Parker, both as a member of the Legislature and as foreman of
the Middlesex grand jury, protected the negro and did much to save his
State from the disgrace of slavery. Like his father, he was for many
years mayor of Perth Amboy, also an originator and director of the
Delaware and Raritan canal and a commissioner to settle the boundary
line between New Jersey and New York. He served with distinction in
the National House of Representatives, winning from his colleagues the
cognomen of "Honest James Parker," and distinguishing himself as a
champion of the right of petition and as a guardian of the finances of the
Union. After leaving Congress and until his death, April i, 1868, he was
first a Whig and then a Republican, a staunch supporter of the Union
and of emancipation.
The presidential contest in 181 2 was enlivened by the war with Great
Britain. Madison had acceded to the views of the war party, which
caused a split in the Republican party. The regular party nominees were
Madison and Gerry, while those in opposition named Clinton and Inger-
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EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY 121
soil. The Federalists, hoping to profit by the division in the ranks of
their opponents, mostly voted for Clinton and Ingersoll. The voters of
Middlesex county, therefore, deprived of a regular Federalist nomination,
cast their ballots for electors for President and Vice-President for Clinton
and Ingersoll, though they elected to the Assembly a solid delegation
consisting of James Parker, James Voorhees and Ercucries Beatty, the
first mentioned receiving 1,780 votes to 1427 cast for the highest can-
didate on the opposition ticket. James Schureman, a Federalist, was
elected over John James, a Republican, to the council by a majority of 343.
The War of 1812 played no important part in the history of Middlesex
county. Her soil was not invaded by a foreign foe, and her seacoast was
ably defended by the United States navy from any inroads or attacks of
the enemy's battleships. President Madison commissioned Governor
Bloomfield a brigadier-general in the army, and early in 181 3 his brigade
reached Sacketts Harbor, New York, but soon after their commander
was transferred to take command of a military district with headquarters
at Philadelphia, where he remained until peace was restored. Middlesex
county furnished sailors and soldiers for the navy and army, but there
were no detailed companies from the county in active service.
In the autumn of 1816, the war having closed, the popular agitation
was as to candidates for the presidential nomination, Madison, following
the example of his predecessor, decided to retire to private life. The pre-
dominance of Virginia was still in evidence when James Monroe became
an avowed candidate. There was some opposition to his nomination
from those who disliked the rule of the "Old Dominion," but on balloting
in senatorial caucus on the respective claims of the candidates, James
Monroe and Daniel D. Tompkins were selected by the Republicans. The
Federalists, with no hope of success, selected as their candidate Rufus
King, leaving to the electors the choice for Vice-President. Though the
Republicans carried New Jersey for their candidates, electing their Rep-
resentatives to Congress, Middlesex county still stood faithful to the
Federalists, choosing Ercucries Beatty to the council and James Parker,
Allison Ely, Jr., and Hezekiah Smith to the Assembly.
There was no opposition to the reelection of Monroe and Tompkins
in 1820. This period in American history became known as "The era of
good feeling," when the Republican, afterwards known as the Demo-
cratic party, was the only political organization. Monroe received all the
electoral votes of the States excepting one that was cast in Massachu-
setts for John Quincy Adams. Internal improvements and tariff legisla-
tion was the cause of the breaking up of the harmony in the political
affairs of the nation. These harmonious times were, however, to cause a
break in the political aspect of Middlesex county; while the Republicans
elected Andrew Kirkpatrick to the council, James Cook, also a Republi-
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122 MIDDLESEX
can, defeated David E. Paten for the Assembly by a vote of 925 to 793.
Ercucries Beatty and John T. McDowell, Federalist candidates, defeated
their opponents by a vote 866 to 859. The Republicans had a majority in
the Assembly of thirty-four.
The contest for the presidency in 1824 presented new names for can-
didates. The success of Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812 and Indian
wars in the South made him a popular candidate, while John Quincy
Adams, William H. Crawford and Henry Clay had an army of admirers.
This was the first appearance of the Whig party in a presidential election,
and it had selected for its candidate the "Great Commoner*' from Ken-
tucky, Henry Clay. The political excitement was intensified by the visit
of the illustrious Lafayette, "the hero of two worlds." New Jersey
showed her preference in the presidential campaign by choosing electors
favorable to Andrew Jackson. Middlesex county, however, gave John
Quincy Adams a plurality of eighty votes; Robert M. Chesney was
elected to the council; and J. T. McDowell, David Schenck, and J. F.
Randolph to the Assembly. The electoral college failed to cast a major-
ity for a presidential candidate, and the matter, in accordance with laws
governing such cases, came before the House of Representatives, which
elected John Quincy Adams as President.
The presidential campaign of 1828 was one of shameless abuse of
private character, and slanderous imputations of everything unworthy
and disgraceful. On the wave of this sea of scandal the Democratic party
was successful in electing "Old Hickory," otherwise known as Andrew
Jackson; Middlesex county still stood true to her Federalist instincts,
though that name as a political party had been dropped, but in the
embers of its dying fires had arisen an organization known as the Peo-
ple's party, which was dubbed by the press as the Administration party.
New Jersey as a State gave its vote to John Quincy Adams, the counties
carried by Jackson being Sussex, Warren, Morris and Hunterdon. The
majority for the Administration party in Middlesex county was 598;
while its candidates for the council and Assembly received majorities
from 132 to 3SS, James Fitz Randolph was elected to Congress to fill a
vacancy caused by death. This gentleman was a native of Middlesex
county, who after receiving a common school education served an appren-
ticeship in the printing business. He became editor in 1812 of a weekly
paper published in New Bnmswick called "Fred<xiia," in which capacity
he continued thirty years. He was a collector of internal revenue, clerk
of the Common Pleas Court, and was representative in Congress from
1828 to 1833, and after his retirement was president of a bank in New
Brunswick for ten years. He was the father of Theodore Frelingfauysen
Randolph, the twenty-fourth Governor of New Jersey.
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EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY 123
Middlesex county was visited in the summer of 1832 by the Asiatic
cholera; it commenced its ravages about the close of June, continuing
until about October first, leaving in its path desolation and death. With
a battle-cry of protection to the school fund and no monopolies, the
National Republican party was launched in 1832 against the Jackson
Administration party. Middlesex county swung into line underneath its
banners and elected their candidates on that ticket to the Assembly.
This body was composed of forty-two members of the National Republi-
can party to twenty-two Jacksonians, thus was the New Jersey Assembly
added to the hotbed of Federalism. The State, however, cast its electoral
votes for Jackson and Van Buren ; the Middlesex county electoral vote
was for Henry Qay, he having a majority of eighty votes. The changing
of the complexion of the New Jersey Assembly was a great reaction. In
the House of 1830 there were eighteen National Republicans to forty-six
Jacksonians. The following year this had been changed to thirty-one
Jacksonians to thirty-three National Republicans, and in two years from
1830 the Jacksonians' majority of twenty-eight had been changed to
twenty for the National Republicans.
In the presidential election of 1836 the electoral vote of New Jersey
was in the hands of the Legislature, for the reason that by an Act* of
Congress the election of the electors of the several States should take
place thirty-four days prior to the meeting of the electoral college, which
was fixed in 1836 on December 7th. The New Jersey State Legislature
by an act passed in 1807 required the presidential election to be held the
first Tuesday in November, this being in 1836 thirty-six days before the
meeting of the electoral college. This difficulty also occurred in 1808,
when the responsibility devolved on the Legislature. The New Jersey
electoral vote in the thirteenth presidential election was cast for Harrison
and Granger, the candidates of the Whig ticket. The Whig nominee for
council, George T. McDowell, received a majority of only twenty votes.
Three of the Van Buren candidates, William C. Alexander, Thomas
Edgar and Samuel C. Johns, with George P. MoUeson, an anti-Jacksonite,
were elected to the Assembly. The county went for Harrison and
Granger By a majority of two hundred and fifty.
In the presidential election of 1820 the Democratic party strived to
elect Van Buren for a second term. The Whigs presented their defeated
presidential candidate of 1836. There was unprecedented excitement
during the campaign, and more attention was bestowed upon politics and
the numerous questions at issue than had ever been the case at any
previous time. There was hardly a definable limit to the conventions, the
speeches, the political phamphlets, the newspaper engineering, on the
thousand topics which were brought forward and debated at the time.
The "hard cider'' campaign with its log cabins fully supplied with barrels
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124 MIDDLESEX
of cider all over the country, in hamlets, villages and cities, marked an
important epoch in the political history of the United States. Van Buren
as candidate of the Democratic party carried only seven States — New
Hampshire, Virginia, South Carolina, Illinois, Alabama, Missouri and
Arkansas, the Whigs being triumphant in every State north of the Mason
and Dixon line with the exception of those mentioned above, and gaining
victories in some of the Southern and border States. In Middlesex
county, though prodigious eflforts were made by the Administration
party, a full Whig delegation was elected to the Assembly. Harrison and
Tyler received a majority of 310 votes, which was a gain of 159 over the
majority given Harrison and Granger.
In the campaign for the fifteenth election for President, the Whigs
were handicapped by the administration of affairs by President Tyler,
who by the death of General Harrison filled the executive chair. They
presented as their candidate Henry Clay, who received the cognomen
"The Friend of Popular Rights." The war-cry of the Whigs was the
purification of the Federal Government, the maintenance of a protective
tariff, the distribution of the moneys from the sales of the public lands,
the maintenance of the Union. The Democratic party was condemned
for the corrupt system of making Federal offices bribes, for the destruc-
tion of the existing tariff laws, the increase of taxation, the extension of
territory already too vast for safe government.
The nominee on the Whig ticket for Vice-President was Theodore
Frelinghuysen, a native of New Jersey, who spent the later years of his
life in New Brunswick, where he died April 12, 1861. Mr. Frelinghuysen
was a man of great piety, possessed of the deepest religious feelings, and
was well known by the sobriquet "The Christian Statesman." He was
endowed with a power of quick and determined action and the leadership
of men, which secured for himself a success in the affairs of the world.
He was equally successful as educator, lawyer and statesman. He had
filled the position of United States Senator, and declined a seat on the
Supreme Court bench of the State. After the defeat of the Whig ticket,
he became chancellor of the University of New York, and in 1850 he
resigned this position to become president of Rutgers College, which
office he held until his death.
Middlesex county gave the Clay and Frelinghuysen ticket a majority
of 304, electing a solid Whig delegation to the Assembly. The Third
Congressional District, which combined with Middlesex county, Hunter-
don, Mercer and Somerset counties, elected John Runk, a Whig, as Rep-
resentative, by a majority of only twenty-seven votes.
The Whigs in 1848, passing over the claims of Henry Clay and Daniel
Webster for their candidates, selected General Zachary Taylor as their
standard-bearer. The Democrats, with a split in their ranks in New York
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EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY 125
State, placed in nomination Lewis Cass, his running mate being William
O. Butler. The Whig candidate had distingfuished himself in the war
with Mexico, and the candidate for Vice-President, Millard Fillmore, was
a prominent statesman of the Empire State. The split in the Democratic
party, mentioned above, consisted mainly of dissatisfied politicians in
New York State who met in convention at Utica in that State and nom-
inated Martin Van Buren for President. The Free-soil party, consisting
mainly of Abolitionists, in a convention held in Buffalo, New York,
endorsed the nomination of Mr. Van Buren, selecting as their candidate
for Vice-President Charles Francis Adams.
Previous to 1848 the New Jersey State elections had been held in
October, and the polls for voting had been kept open two days. The
presidential election in 1848 was the first time the ballots for National
and State offices were cast on the same day, and the time of voting was
limited to one day. A distinct opposition was made by the Qay Free
Soil Whigs to the candidates for President and Vice-President on the
Whig ticket, and they were even more antagonistic to their own party
than they were to their Democratic opponents. The normal majority of
the Whigs in Middlesex county was not, however, materially diminished.
A solid Whig delegation was elected to the Council and Assembly, the
majority in these bodies on joint ballot being twenty-three in favor of the
Whig party. Middlesex was the banner Whig county in the State, every
town giving "Old Zack" for President a majority, with the exception of
South Amboy, which was carried by Cass by a majority of 211.
The presidential campaign of 1852 was devoid of any political excite-
ment. Both of the great parties set aside their legitimate leaders, and
turned for their candidates to those who had distinguished themselves by
military exploits in the Mexican War. There was also injected into the
campaign the Free-soilers, who met in convention at Pittsburgh, Penn-
sylvania, nominating John P. Hale, of New Hampshire, for President,
and George W. Julian, of Indiana, for Vice-President. Though General
Winfield Scott had gained more distinction than his opponent in the mili-
tary operations in Mexico, he was badly defeated by General Franklin
Pierce, who received the largest electoral vote ever cast for a presidential
candidate previous to this period, he receiving in the electoral college the
votes of all the States with the exception of Vermont, Massachusetts,
Tennessee and Kentucky. The Whigs of Middlesex county, however,
gave a majority of one hundred and eighty for their presidential candi-
date, electing Martin A. Howell in the First Assembly District, Abraham
Everett in the Second District, and Josephus Shann, a loco-foco, in the
Third District. Samuel Lilly, a Democrat, member of the medical profes-
sion, was elected representative to Congress.
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126 MIDDLESEX
To the student of the political history of the country the presidential
campaign of 1856 was to see the dissension between the free and slave-
holding States that was afterwards to culminate in open hostilities. The
waning power of the South in the United States Senate by the creation
of free States in the Great West, which they had bitterly fought in the
State of Kansas, curtailed the extension of slavery. The Democrats pre-
sented as their candidates James Buchanan and John C. Breckinridge.
The newly formed Republican party had for their standard-bearers John
C. Fremont, "The Great Pathfinder,'* and William L. Dayton, a prominent
citizen of New Jersey. The political situation was further complicated
by the introduction of the American party, with Millard Fillmore and
Andrew Jackson Donelson as its candidates. This split in the ranks of
old Whig party placed Middlesex county for the first time in the Demo-
cratic column, her vote for President being for Buchanan 2468, Fre-
mont 1,200, and Fillmore 1,979. In the Third District, Gamett B. Adrian
was elected to the Thirty-fifth Congress. The newly elected member of
Congress was of French extraction ; his paternal grandfather settled in
Ireland, fleeing from his native France, with his two brothers, from reli-
gious persecution following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. He
was a man of fine cultivation, remarkable for his brilliant wit and versa-
tile power of conversation. He engaged in his new home in teaching,
married, and reared a family of five children. Of these, Robert, the
eldest, early developed an aptitude for learning that amounted to genius.
The death of his parents when he was fifteen years of age changed his
life as a pupil to that of a teacher. In the rebellion of 1798 he commanded
an Irish company, but on account of his independent spirit gained the ill
will of the government, and a reward was oflFered for his capture. His
having been wounded by one of his men gave rise to a rumor of his death,
and he eventually escaped to America disguised as a weaver. Here he
became noted for his mathematical talents, and after being in charge of
several academies in 1810 was called to the professorship of mathematics
and natural philosophy in Queen's (Rutgers) College ; subsequently he
was elected to the chair of natural philosophy at Columbia College.
Returning to Rutgers in 1826, he accepted after three years a professor-
ship in the University of Pennsylvania, of which institution he was also
vice-provost. He returned to his home in New Brunswick in 1834, and
from that time until his death, August 10, 1843, with the exception of
three years, he relinquished teaching. Gamett B., his son, was bom in
New York City, December 20, 181 5. After receiving a collegiate educa-
tion he entered the law office of his brother, Robert Adrian, at New
Bmnswick, and remained in continuous legal practice until his death on
August 17, 1878. He inherited the genius of his father and a good deal
of his independent spirit. He was recognized by the members of the
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EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY 127
bar of the State as a legal light of the highest order, a favorable, ready,
witty, eloquent speaker, who had few equals in the State. In politics a
Democrat of the old school, he was an ardent adherent of Stephen A.
Douglas. After his two terms in Congress he retired from active politics.
The campaign for the presidential election in i860 opened with four
political parties in the field. The Republicans, who had nominated Abra-
ham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin, declared that freedom was the nor-
mal condition of all the territories, and that slavery could exist only by
the authority of municipal law. The Democratic party was divided ; the
radical pro-slavery wing, whose candidates were John C. Breckinridge
and Joseph Lane, declared that no power existed that might lawfully
control slavery in the territories, and it was the duty of the national gov-
ernment to protect the institution. The other wing of the party, whose
platform assumed not to know positively whether slavery might or might
not have lawful existence in the territories but expressed a willingness to
abide by the decision of the Supreme Court, had for its candidates
Stephen A. Douglas and Herschel V. Johnson. The National Constitu-
tional Union party adopted as its platform, "The Union, the Constitution,
and the enforcement of the laws," and declined to express any opinion
upon any subject. Its candidates were John Bell and Edward Everett.
The conflict waged desperately from July to November. New Jerseyjaias .
the only State in the Union that presented a ticket which combined
fusion electors opposed to the Republican nominees. This ticket received
a majority of 650 in Middlesex county, but in the electoral college the
Republican candidates received four voles, the other three being cast
for the ticket headed by Stephen A. Douglas. In the Third Congres-
sional District, William G. Steele, a Democrat, was elected by a majority
of 2,115. The State Senate consisted of eleven Republicans to ten
Democrats, the Middlesex representative being Abraham Everett, a
Republican. Three Democrats — Elias Ross, James T. Crowell and
Orlando Perrine, were elected in Middlesex county to the Assembly by
a majority of two hundred.
Abraham Lincoln in the electoral college received the combined votes
of the State north of the Mason and Dixon line, with the exception of
three votes in New Jersey. Breckinridge carried all the Southern
States with the exception of Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, whose
entire vote was received by Bell. Douglas, the idol of the Democratic
party, received the three votes of New Jersey and nine from Missouri.
The Republican party had won its first national victory, and the seeds
were sown that was to cause slavery to be forever removed as a national
issue. Grimvisaged war to take place before the consummation of
this momentous question, father was to be arrayed against son, brother
against brother, and the country was to be plunged into the horrors of
civil war.
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CHAPTER XVI.
WAR BETWEEN THE STATES.
The smoke from the guns that were fired at Fort Sumter had hardly-
dissolved in the air when President Lincoln issued his proclamation
calling for seventy-five thousand militia to serve in the Union army for
three months. The quota of this call for New Jersey was 3,120, or four
regiments of 750 men each. The War Department also required that
in addition to the regiments called, a reserve militia should be organ-
ized as rapidly as possible. Governor Olden, who at this period filled
the executive office of the State, issued a proclamation directing all
individuals or organizations to report for duty within twenty days. The
whole State rose with glorious unanimity to vindicate the majesty of
insulted law. The banks pledged a fund of $451,000 to support the
governor in his extraordinary expenses, of which sum the State Bank
of New Brunswick subscribed $25,000. The first regimental offer was
made by the First Regiment of the Hunterdon Brigade, under date of
April 18, 1861. The first company actually mustered into service was the
Olden Guards, a militia organization of Trenton, on April 23, 1861.
New Jersey was a carnival of patriotism from one end of the State to
the other; volunteers came forward so rapidly that the quota of the
State was completed on April 30, 1861, and the regiments stood ready
to march to the seat of war.
The four regiments were quickly mustered into a brigade known as
the New Jersey Brigade, afterwards as the First Brigade. There was
not in this brigade an organized company from Middlesex county.
Governor Olden selected for commander of the First Brigade, Theo-
dore Runyon, a prominent lawyer of Newark, then about thirty-eight
years of age, and who had for some years manifested a deep interest
in military affairs. General Runyon, though not bom in Middlesex
county, was a descendant of Vincent Rognion, a native of France, and
one of the early settlers of Piscataway township. On May 2, 1861, the
brigade embarked by the way of Annapolis for Washington, and on the
6th reported to General Scott. The three thousand Jerseytnen were
thoroughly armed and equipped, and their arrival at the capital city was
hailed with pleasure, as they could be depended on to repel all assaults.
In the First Brigade of the New Jersey Volunteers, which was mustered
into service under the call of the President for three-year volunteers,
in the First Regiment of Infantry, Middlesex county had three full
companies, C, F and G, while some of the members of companies A, B
and E were from that county.
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130 MIDDLESEX
First Regiment-~Thi: First Regiment, with other members of the First
Brigade of three-year volunteers, left Trenton on June 28, 1861, and
immediately on arrival in Virginia formed a part of General Runyon's
division of reserves in the battle of Bull Run, aiding materially in cover-
ing the retreat of the Union forces on that fatal day. Immediately after
the battle, the regiment went into camp near Alexandria, Virginia.
Major Philip Kearny, having been commissioned a brigadier-general,
was put in command of the New Jersey troops. The fall and winter
months were passed in camp duties. On October 15 a detachment of
the First Regiment fell in with the enemy cavalry, when a brisk skirmish
took place ; after emptying a number of saddles, they retired with a loss
of three or four killed. In the spring of 1862 the regiment was ordered
to Burke's Station, on the Orange & Alexandria railroad, to protect
laborers. The First Regiment was finally advanced to Fairfax Court
House, and a detachment was sent forward to Centreville, where the
remainder of the regiment shortly after joined them. Thus this regi-
ment that was the last to leave Ceaterville at the first Bull Run, had the
honor of being the first to occupy the place in the second advance. The
brigade in April, 1862, was attached to the First Division of the First
Army Corps, was advanced to Bristow Station, and took a position two
miles from Warrenton Junction, at Catlett's Station. This was a stra-
tegic movement to engage the attenticm of the enemy while General
McClellan transferred his main body of the army by transports to the
Peninsula. The First Regiment, as part of the First Brigade, abandon-
ing their position at Catlett's Station, returned to Alexandria, where it
embarked on steamers for the rendezvous at the mouth of the York
river, thence proceeding to Yorktown, and finally to West Point, on
the York river. Here the regiment was disembarked and deployed as
skirmishers, and a sharp engagement took place with some of the best
soldiers of the rebel army. A junction was finally eflfected with McClel-
lan's army near the White House, whence the regiment advanced to
Chickahominy, remaining in camp at this point about two weeks.
The fighting for the possession of Richmond had commenced, and
on the night of May 21 the First Regiment was detailed to guard a
working party. Six days later the regiment, leaving its entrenched
camp on the right bank of the Chickahominy, moved down to Wood-
bury's Bridge, where the brigade was formed into two lines, and though
the odds of position and numbers were against them, the Jersey Blues
fought steadily on until nightfall. One by one their officers were shot
down, and though the day was lost, it was not the fault of the New Jersey
Brigade, which went into action with 2,800 stout-hearted men, of whom
but 965 wearied, scarred and dark with grime of battle, answered to their
names in the solemn midnight when the morning camp was reached.
In the First Regiment, Major David Hatfield was wounded, and subse-
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WAR BETWEEN THE STATES 131
quently died of his injuries ; Captain E. G. Brewster was killed ; while
Captains Way, Mount and others were wounded; the total loss of the
regiment being 21 killed, 78 wounded and 60 missing. The following
morning the First Brigade was withdrawn to the woods in the rear of
the battlefield, where it rested until midnight, when it marched towards
Savage Station, pausing to take part in the battle of Malvern Hill, and
finally reached Harrison's Landing, where it found a brief respite.
In the latter part of July, General John Pope was appointed to com-
mand the forces designated as the Army of Virginia, with instructions
to make fresh demonstrations against Richmond from the Rappahan-
nock in order to effect a diversion in favor of General McClellan's army.
The First Regiment, now numbering about three hundred men, in con-
nection with other regiments of the First Brigade, was sent forward by
rail to Bull Run bridge, where it was supposed that there was no more
formidable body of enemy than gangs of gfuerillas. This, however, was
found to be a mistake, and the Jersey troops were confronted by the
enemy's forces, who gave battle, causing sad havoc amongst their ranks.
Stonewall Jackson, who was present on the field of battle, afterwards
said he had rarely seen a body of men who stood up so gallantly in the
face of overwhelming odds as did the Jersey troops on this occasion.
By the official statement the First Regiment casualties in this engage-
ment were, one killed, 47 wounded, 80 taken prisoners.
General Pope, realizing his dangerous position, pushed forward all
of his available forces upon Centerville. Here General Kearny's division
advanced against General Stonewall Jackson, stationed near Gainesville.
At this point a large part of both armies became engaged, victory and
repulse following each other in quick succession, and Pope, struggling
with a hope of reinforcements that never came, was badly beaten. The
army was withdrawn to a position near Centerville, where the First
Brigade as a part of Franklin's Corps joined the main army. General
Lee determined to harass the right wing of Pope's army, advanced
General Jackson's army toward Fairfax Court House, where on the eve-
ning of September ist they were confronted by two divisions of Sumner's
Corps, and subsequently by Kearny's Division, the latter closing the
fight by driving the enemy from the field. The victory, however, was
a costly one. General Kearny being shot dead when almost within the
rebel lines, on a reconnaissance.
Here fell on the field of battle a beau ideal of an American soldier.
General Philip Kearny, though not a native of Middlesex county, was
descended from a family that was connected with its history in the
eighteenth century. It was in 1716 that Michael Kearny, then residing
in Monmouth county, purchased a lot of ground in Perth Amboy and
soon after removed thither. He was originally from Ireland, and before
coming to Perth Amboy had married for his second wife, Sarah, daughter
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132 MIDDLESEX
of Lewis Morris, govcraor of the province of New Jersey. Mr. Keamy
had not been long a resident of Perth Amboy when various ofEces were
bestowed upon him. He was secretary of the province, surrogate, clerk
of the Assembly, also of the Court of Common Pleas. His eldest son,
Philip, was eminent as a lawyer, and married (first) Lady Barney
Dexter, whose maiden name was Ravaud ; the issue of this marriage was
Philip, Elizabeth, Susannah and Ravaud. The eldest Philip resided for
many years at Perth Amboy, but finally removed to Newark, locating
on what was known as the Keamy homestead. There he lived until
his death, and his son Philip, who married Susan Watts, succeeded to
his father's estate. These were the parents of General Philip Keamy,
who was bom in New York City, June 2, 181 5, while his mother was
there visiting relatives. Graduating from Columbia College in 1833,
young Keamy visited Europe, and while there was especially impressed
by the manoeuvering of the armies. Returning to New York, he studied
law, but by the death of his grandfather, John Watts, in 1836, he inherited
$1,000,000. He then turned his attention to army life, and was commis-
sioned second lieutenant in the First United States Dragoons. He
served through the war with Mexico, and lost his left arm at the battle
of Cherubusco, being brevetted major for his gallantry. After the close
of the war he built on his property, "Belle Grove," on the Passaic, a
French chateau, and on the broad acres of the old homestead exercised
his horses, which he had imported from Europe. At the outbreak of
the Civil War, after offering his services to the United States and his
native State without success, he aided in the organization of the First
New Jersey Brigade. He was commissioned brigadier-general, and it
was through his superb soldierly qualities and masterly drill that the
First Brigade came to be noted for its wonderful efficiency and esprit
de corps.
The weary and footsore soldiers of the First Regiment were not
yet to find rest. General McClellan was again in supreme command, and
the regiment was moved towards South Mountain, taking part in the
battle of Crampton Pass, Maryland, where three brigades of the rebels
under General Howell Cobb were advantageously posted. After a short
but severe engagement, the rebels were routed, the First Regiment
suflFering a loss of seven killed and thirty-four wounded. The battle of
Antietam followed in three days, and though this was one of the blood-
iest and costliest of the war, the First Regiment was not actually
engaged, it being stationed in a woods for forty-two hours, six of which
they were exposed to a severe artillery fire. Lee with his bleeding
columns, leaving his dead on the field of battle, crossed the Potomac,
eflFecting a lodgment in Virginia and leisurely retreating down the Val-
ley, awaiting the development of McClellan's programme.
The First Regiment remained in Maryland until October 2, when
it crossed the Potomac to participate in the movement against Freder-
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WAR BETWEEN THE STATES 133
icksburg. The regiment was formed in line of battle and was also
engaged in picket duty. The battle of Fredericksburg terminated the
campaign of 1862, and the First Regiment went into winter quarters
near Falmouth, Virginia, where it rested for four months in comparative
quietness.
In the spring of 1863, General McClellan was succeeded in the com-
mand of the Army of the Potomac by General Joseph Hooker. The
latter, determined upon a movement against the enemy, crossed with
the bulk of his forces the rivers Rappahannock and Rapidan, and took
position at Chancellorsville. The First Brigade, now a part of the
Sixth Corps, crossed the Rappahannock three miles below Fredericks-
burg on the morning of April 29, 1853. On the evening of May 2nd, the
First Regiment attacked and drove in the enemy's pickets, holding the
ground thus obtained. The regiment moving rapidly through Freder-
icksburg, proceeded some three miles in the direction of Chancellorsville,
where it formed in line of battle and advanced until Salem Church was
reached. Here the enemy was strongly posted, and the veterans of
Longstreet stood resolutely at bay. Though the First Brigade did not
write a new victory on its banners, it proved itself .once more worthy to
march and fight in the van of the battle-beaten Army of the Potomac.
The regiment remained on the field during the whole of the following
day, but was not engaged except as a support to batteries. *On the
night of the 4th the entire army withdrew, the First Regiment proceed-
ing by slow marches to its old camping grounds. The First Regiment
loss at the battle of Chancellorsville was 7 killed, 71 wounded, and 27
missing.
General Lee having defeated Hooker's movement against Richmond,
determined upon an offensive campaign, and early in June again crossed
the Potomac, taking position on free soil. General Meade having suc-
ceeded General Hooker, came up with the advance of the enemy at
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The First Regiment, prior to this movement,
had participated in various aimless marches in Virginia. The regiment
crossed the Potomac at Edward's Ferry on the afternoon of June 27
and marched rapidly forward to Manchester, where it arrived July i.
The following day, by a forced march of thirty-six miles, it reached
Gettysburg, and at once was sent into position on the left of the line.
The fighting being mainly on the right and center, the First did not
become engaged on the decisive day of the battle except on the picket
line. After the defeat of the enemy, the regiment on July 19 crossed the
Potomac, went into camp near Warrentown, and on September 15
removed to Culpeper Court House. During the month of October it
participated in movements along the Rappahannock, but subsequently
went into camp at Warrentown, whence it removed to Rappahannock
Station, and early in December to near Brandy Station, where it remained
in winter quarters until late in April, 1864.
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134 MIDDLESEX
On May 4, 1864, having fully matured his plans, General Grant, who
was in supreme command, set all his columns in motion. The First
Regiment as a unit in these decisive attacks on the enemy which were
terminated by Lee's surrender at Appomattox, valiantly performed its
part. It was present at all the important engagements with the enemy
on the Peninsula in Virginia and in the Shenandoah Valley. It took
part in the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Spottsylvania Court
House; North and South Anna River, Hanover Court House, Tolopo-
tomy Creek, Cold Harbor, before Petersburg, Snicker's Gap, Strasburg,
Winchester, Charlestown, Opequan, Fisher's Hill, New Market, Mount
Jackson, Cedar Creek and Middletown, Hatcher's Run, Fort Stedman,
capture of Petersburg, Sailor's Creek, Farmville, and Lee's surrender
at Appomattox.
On May 24, 1865, the regiment marched through Richmond on its
way northward. It encamped four miles from Georgetown, D. C, on
June 2, and after a short time the regiment was mustered out of service
and proceeded to Trenton, New Jersey, where it was dissolved and
ceased to exist.
Ninth Regiment — ^The Ninth Regiment was raised under authoriza-
tion from the War Department to recruit a regiment of riflemen. Com-
panies A and B were from Middlesex county. The recruiting for the
regiment was beg^n in September, 1861, and the first muster was made
at Camp Olden, Trenton, on October 5. The regiment was soon filled
to the maximum, and remained in camp until December 4, when it pro-
ceeded to Washington. It was armed with Springfield rifles, and was
more fully equipped than any regiment which up to that time had left
the State. The regiment went into camp on the Bladensburg turnpike,
where it remained until January 4, 1862, when it proceeded to Annapolis
to become a portion of Bumside's expedition to North Carolina. It was
assigned to the brigade of General Jesse L. Reno, and embarked for
Fortress Monroe, January 10. Arriving at its destination, sail was made
for some point southward. On February 6 all the vessels arrived off
Roanoke Island, which separates the Pamlico and Albemarle sounds,
and where the Confederates were in force with entrenchments, batteries
and gunboats. The fleet steamed directly up Pamlico Sound led by a
dozen gunboats under the command of Commodore Goldsborough. The
Ninth Regiment as part of Reno's command was placed in the second
line of attack, and remained inactive about a half a mile from the scene
of hostilities. The order for advance was soon given, and the regiment
entered the swamp and up to hips in water advanced to within one
hundred yards of the enemy's fort. Here a vigorous fire was opened on
the enemy, which was responded to by the batteries pouring a storm of
shot and shell into the regiment. The rebel guns were, however,
silenced by the sharpshooters picking off their cannoneers. The Con-
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WAR BETWEEN THE STATES 135
federates retreated about 11 o'clock. The conduct of the Ninth was
highly courageous, the enemy admitting after the battle that they did
not suppose a body of troops could operate in the swamp, as this opera-
tion on the rebel flank made it possible to secure the great success of
the day. By order of General Burnside, "Roanoke Island, Feb-
urary 8, 1862," was emblazoned on the Ninth's banners in compliment
for their gallantry on that day. The Ninth lost in the battle, 9 killed and
25 wounded. The capture of Roanoke Island gained the key to all the
inland waters of North Carolina, thus interrupting communications
which at that time were essential to the enemy.
The Ninth remained on the Island until early in March; on the nth
of that month it sailed down the sound to Hatteras Inlet to participate
in an attack on Newberne. In the line of battle before that city, the
Ninth occupied the extreme left. Discovering a movement on his left
flank. Colonel Heckman, in command of the regiment, reversed his
left wing in time to repel a fierce attack of the enemy, the regiment then
resumed a direct attack, silencing the Confederates' artillery by their
sharpshooters. The Federal troops had made several charges, and on
the solicitation of Colonel Heckman, General Reno ordered the Ninth to
make a charge. Dashing eagerly forward, leaping from ditch to ditch,
wading knee-deep in mire, rushing over pitfalls through almost impene-
trable abattis, the irresistible assailants swept up to the earthworks,
climbed the blood-stained slippery sides and captured the whole line
of fortifications in their front, with six guns. The flags of the Ninth
waved from two of the enemy's redans, while the right guidon floated
from a third. Soon the entire division took complete possession of the
Confederate works mounting some sixty-nine cannons. The river bat-
teries in the rear were evacuated, thus leaving the land and water
approaches to Newberne open, all that remained being to march in and
take possession. The Ninth camped at the junction of the Trent and
Neuse rivers about four miles from the captured fortifications, remaining
until April I, when it proceeded to Newport Barracks, where its head-
quarters remained during the siege of Fort Macon. On July 26, six
companies of the regiment took part in an expedition to Young^s Cross
Roads. The next three months were spent in reconnoitering and guer-
illa warfare. The regiment on October 30, 1862, joined General Foster's
expedition against Tarborough, while two brigades were transported
by water to Washington, and the third, which included the Ninth,
marched overland. It was on the morning of November 2 the column
was first attacked by rebel rangers, and after marching some nineteen
miles it became evident that an engagement was imminent. Two Massa-
chusetts regiments having, been forced to retire, the Ninth was ordered
to the rescue. Running through the ranks of the Massachusetts regi-
ments, the Ninth dashed past the fort of the enemy, halting upon a
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high clay bank beyond the swamp. Here parties were detailed to find
convenient fords, but on receiving a report that the river could be
crossed by infantry. Colonel Heckman placed a battery in position to
open fire with canister on the enemy, then ordered the Ninth to cross
over the burning bridge into the works of the Confederates. The latter
fled precipitately, leaving considerable property behind. Few achieve-
ments of the North Carolina campaign were more gallant than this
passage of a burning bridge, and the rout of the enemy strongly posted,
by a single regiment. The expedition moved forward in the direction
of Tarborough, but learning that the enemy had been reinforced, it
was determined to return, the Ninth reaching Newport on November 12.
In accordance with an order from the War Department dated Novem-
ber 18, 1862, the regiment was reduced from twelve to ten companies, A
and L being disbanded, and the enlisted men transferred to other com-
panies of the regiment. Company M was designated as Company A.
In December, 1862, the regiment took part in Colonel Heckman's expe-
dition to destroy railroad junctions in North Carolina, in which it took
part in engagements with rebel forces at Deep Creek, Southwest Creek,
before Kinston, Whitehall and Goldsborough. On December 24, a
beautiful stand of colors costing seven hundred dollars, was presented
to the Ninth by the Legislature of New Jersey.
The year 1863 opened with the Ninth in camp in North Carolina, a
part of what was known as "The Star Brigade." In the early part of that
year it took part in several minor expeditions, but for the greater part
of the time was in camp at Morehead City. In July, 1863, an expedition
was undertaken into the interior of North Carolina, and the Ninth took
part in an engagement near Winton in that State. Many of the Ninth
being sick with chills and fever, the regiment was ordered to Carolina
City, where it remained unemployed for a month and a half. On October
18, 1863, the regiment broke camp and proceeded to Newport News,
Virginia, where it remained during the remainder of the year.
The term for which the Ninth had volunteered having in the early
part of 1864 nearly expired, two-thirds of the regiment immediately
reenlisted for three years in the war, being designated "Veteran Volun-
teers." This number entitled them to a veteran furlough, and on Febru-
ary 2, 1864, they sailed for Jersey City, thence proceeding to Trenton,
where their arms were stored and the men scattered for their homes.
The portion of the regiment that did not reenlist, in a reconnaisance at
Deep Creek, Virginia, fell in with a body of rebels who compelled them
to retreat
The gallant Ninth, strengthened by a number of recruits, once more
set its face towards the battlefields. Reaching Portsmouth, Virginia,
March 17, 1864, it proceeded to Getty's Station, where it reunited with
General Heckman's command. This command sailed up Chuckatuck
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river, landing April 15 at Cherry Grove, where the enemy were met
and engaged by several companies of the Ninth. The command return-
ing to their camp at Getty's Station, was transferred to Yorktown,
finally sailing to Fortress Monroe. The Ninth disembarked at Bermuda
Hundred, on the south side of James river, being the first to land.
Bivouacking about two miles from the river on the morning of May
6, the division moved forward, the Ninth as usual having the post of
honor and of danger. Moving steadily forward, the regiment at noon
came within sight of Petersburg, and advanced steadily to Port Wal-
thall Junction, where the enemy were strongly posted. Here it met a
superior force of the enemy and after two hours' fighting was obliged
to retire ; the Ninth losing four killed and 30 wounded. The following
day the regiment was engaged in fighting, but it was less severe than
the preceding day. The morning of the 9th an advance was made
southward to Swift Creek, three miles from Petersburg. The enemy
was driven two or three miles with heavy loss, the Unionist soldiers
tearing up the railroad track between Petersburg and Richmond. Both
armies held during the night the ground occupied during the day. Thc^
loss of the Ninth was one man killed and nine wounded. The Ninth
was not again engaged until the 12th, when the whole army again
advanced, encountering the enemy on the Richmond and Petersburg
turnpike. Night closed active operations, both armies resting on their
arms, skirmishing was resumed at daylight, the enemy being gradually
driven at all points of the line. The morning of the 14th the artillery
opened vigorously upon the enemy. Companies D and G of the Ninth
were deployed as skirmishers and compelled the enemy to fall back to
their fortifications During the 15 th while a sharp musketry fire was kept
up all day, no general demonstration was made. The extreme right of
Heckman's command was held by the Ninth. The commanding general
had repeatedly asked for reinforcements which had been denied him. At
midnight the rebels moved out of their works strongly massed, and
rushed just before daylight upon the pickets ; they were forced back, but
the i6th was to be a sad day for the "Star Brigade." Under cover of a
dense fog, five picked brigades in columns debouched, left the rebel
fortifications, drove in the Union pickets, and pressed forward on a
run for the main line. Though they were repulsed, the rebels executed
a flank movement on the extreme right, and the Ninth, defending that
position, having no artillery and being greatly outnumbered, was
obliged to give way. The Ninth lost heavily in this battle, which is
named in the reports as Drury's Bluflf, one hundred and fifty being killed
and wounded. The regiment at the commencement of the engagement
had nineteen ofiicers, thirteen of whom were killed and wounded and
three taken prisoners. Among their dead ofiicers was their commander,
Colonel Abram Zabriskie. During the next week the Ninth was more or
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less constantly engaged in skirmishing, severe fighting at times, and on
being ordered to Cold Harbor on June 3, became engaged with the
enemy. While the fighting was continued along the whole line the
following day the Ninth was not engaged. On the 12th General Smith's
army withdrawing from its position, the Ninth covered his rear and
marched directly to White House, where it embarked and sailed to Ber-
muda Hundred. The total loss of the regiment during the operations
at Cold Harbor was five killed and thirty wounded.
After reaching Bermuda Hundred, nine companies of the Ninth, with
a part of the Twenty-third Massachusetts, were with other troops united
under the title of Provisional Brigade, and attached temporarily to the
Tenth Corps; with this organization the Ninth took part in the move-
ments before Petersburg, Virginia, fighting forty days in the rifle pits.
The fighting of the Ninth in Virginia was ended, and on September
17 it proceeded to Bermuda Hundred, embarked for North Carolina,
reaching Morehead City and proceeded to its old camp at Caroline
City. On October 21, one hundred and eight men whose terms of serv-
ice had expired, left the camp for Trenton, New Jersey, to be mustered
out. The Ninth remained in North Carolina until the close of hostilities,
taking part in several engagements — Gardiner's Bridge, Foster's Bridge,
Butler's Bridge, Southwest Creek, Wise's Fork, and Goldsborough.
The Ninth during its term of service participated in forty-two battles
and engagements. Entering the service with 1,042 men and at various
times strengthened by recruits, the mean strength of the regiment when
mustered out was only six hundred. The regiment as an organization
was mustered out of the United States service at Greensborough, North
Carolina, July 12, 1865, and proceeded by rail to Danville, Virginia. On
the 15th it embarked at City Point for Baltimore, reaching Trenton the
following day, where it was furloughed until the 28th when the final
discharge papers were issued, and on the day following the Ninth Regi-
ment, after nearly four years of service, ceased to exist.
Fourteenth Regiment — ^Thc Fourteenth Regiment was mustered into
the service of the United States, August 25, 1862, leaving Freehold for
the seat of war, nine hundred and fifty strong, September 2, 1862. The
regiment was composed of excellent material. Companies D, H, I and K
were largely from Middlesex county ; there were also a number in Com-
panies C and E who were citizens of the county. Reaching Baltimore,
the regiment was dispatched to guard Monocacy Bridge. Receiving
advice of the advance of General Lee into Maryland, the regiment was
transferred to Elysville. The Confederates burned the bridge crossing
the Monocacy, and the Fourteenth was ordered to rebuild it. Here for
nine months the regiment remained inactive; owing to poor rations
during the winter, a great deal of sickness prevailed, seventy-five deaths
occurring. This period of inactivity came to an end after the battle of
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WAR BETWEEN THE STATES 139
Chancellorsville, when the Fourteenth was ordered to Harper's Ferry
and took position on Maryland Heights. Here it remained two weeks,
when General Meade assumed command of the Army of the Potomac
and ordered the position abandoned. The regiment then marched to
the relief of the Union army at Gettysburg, but did not join the main
army until July 9, and on the afternoon of the 17th crossed the Potomac
at Edward's Ferry, going into camp at Bealton Station. The Fourteenth
at this time numbered eight hundred men, and for five weeks camped
along the Rappahannock.
The regiment still was located in Virginia, and on October 30 was
engaged in its first active engagement, at Locust Grove, where it suf-
fered a loss of 16 killed and 58 wounded. The enemy retiring on the
approach of night, General Meade ordered a withdrawal across the
Rapidan, and on December 4 the regiment went into winter quarters at
Brandy Station. At this time the regiment had fit for duty six hundred
men. The monotony of the winter quarters was not disturbed until
February 6, when an unsuccessful attempt was made to cross the Rapi-
dan river. General Grant having been placed in command of the Army
of the Potomac, orders were issued May 3, 1864, for a forward movement
against the enemy now concentrated in the Wilderness. Here the Four-
teenth was engaged for several hours, fighting valiantly and losing
heavily. On the second day the enemy retired, and Grant advanced his
columns, concentrating around Spottsylvania Court House, and late in
the afternoon the Fourteenth again went into action. The six days fol-
lowing were occupied in manoeuvering and skirmishing; on the night
of the 21 St General Grant commenced a flanking advance to the North
Anna, the Fourteenth crossing at Jericho Ford, thence, with the other
regiments of the brigade, it proceeded to Nole's Station and destroyed the
Virginia Central railroad for a distance of eight miles. During Grant's
retrograde movement north of the Chickahominy, the Fourteenth was on
the skirmish line. The army resumed its advance on the morning bf
June I ; after marching fifteen miles the enemy's position at Cold Harbor
was reached, the Fourteenth being in front. Here a terrific battle ensued,
the Fourteenth losing in two hours 240 killed and wounded. In the
second day's fight the Fourteenth also took a part, losing several
men. Grant having arrived at the conclusion that General Lee's position
was impregnable, wisely decided to pass the Chickahominy far to Lee's
right ; thence move across the James river, to advance against Richmond
from the south. The Fourteenth was carried by transports to Bermuda
Hundred, where it was united with Butler's army, then investing Peters-
burg. It was engaged on the Weldon railroad in tearing up tracks, when
a large force of the enemy appeared, and in an action that followed the
regiment lost forty men in killed and prisoners.
General Early's successful raid in the Shenandoah region caused
General Grant to transfer the Third Division of the Sixth Corps from
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140 MIDDLESEX
the front of Petersburg to that scat of war. The Fourteenth was the
first regiment to reach Monocacy. Here on July 9, dispositions were
made for battle, the Fourteenth being on the extreme left. The Con-
federates enveloping the Union lines, forced them to retreat ; the Four-
teenth in this engagement suflFered severely. Every line officer with the
exception of Captain J. J. Janeway, of Company K, was either killed or
wounded, but happily the regiment extricated itself from its peril and
at last found safety six miles distant, at New Market. The whole num-
ber of the casualties in the Fourteenth was 10 killed, 69 wounded, and
five missing. Of the 950 men that left New Jersey, but ninety-five were
left for duty on the night of July 8, 1864, without an officer to command
them. Captain Janeway received a wound after taking command that
obliged him to leave the battle field.
This engagement, while disastrous to the Union forces, is believed
by historians of the war to have retarded the Confederate's advance on
Washington. The delay thus occasioned enabled divisions of the Union
army to reach the capital before General Early was enabled to accom-
plish the object of his expedition. The regiment remained at Ellicott's
Mills until the nth, when it proceeded by rail to Baltimore to join in the
pursuit of Early, who was now retreating. On the 15th it crossed the
Potomac at Edward's Ferry, pushed through Leesburg and Snicker's
Gap, eventually reaching Harper's Ferry to take part in Sheridan's cam-
paign in the Shenandoah Valley. This expedition moved against the
enemy August 10, 1864, but no general action took place until August 19,
when the enemy was attacked at Opequan Creek. The Fourteenth by the
means of recruits had augmented its numbers to three hundred men;
their loss in this engagement was 7 killed, 62 wounded, and one missing.
Its greatest loss, however, was Major Vredenburg, who while at the head
of his regiment, ordering a charge upon a rebel battery, was struck by
a shell and instantly killed. The following morning, Early having taken
position at Fisher's Hill, Sheridan crossed Cedar Creek, and on the 22nd
gave battle, which lasted three hours, the casualties of the Fourteenth
being ten kille'd and thirty wounded.
The great battle of the campaign was yet to be fought, that of Cedar
Creek. Sheridan had gone to Washington on business, and the wily
Early on October 18 moved his entire army across the mountains sepa-
rating the branches of the Shenandoah. Under cover of fog and dark-
ness, the Eighth Corps was attacked on both flanks, the enemy capturing
twelve hundred prisoners, twenty-four guns, and much camp equipage.
The Eighth, aroused from its morning slumbers, was unable to make any
great resistance. The Sixth Corps, of which the Fourteenth Regiment
was a member, had more opportunity to rally, and held the rebels in check
for a time. A general retreat was ordered ; the Union forces fell back
five miles and reformed their line of battle. Then Sheridan appeared
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WAR BETWEEN THE STATES 141
on the scene, having made his famous ride from Winchester. Riding
along the lines, he inspired the men by speaking to them, stimulating
them to new endeavors, and prepared them for a fresh encounter, saying
as last words to them the eflFective sentence, "We are going to lick
them out of their boots." The soldiers, with these words ringing in their
ears, assumed the oflfensive. After considerable manoeuvering, a charge
was ordered, the enemy was driven back, the trains, artillery and other
trophies recaptured, defeat converted into victory, by the inspiring
spirit of Sheridan. The Fourteenth Regiment, which took an active
part, lost heavily. It remained in the vicinity of Winchester until
December 3, when it proceeded to Washington, thence by transports
to City Point, whence it advanced and occupied a position on the Wel-
don railroad. Here the regiment was reorganized, having received
recruits to the number of two hundred, and remained in winter quarters
until late in March, when orders were received to join the armies operat-
ing against Richmond.
In the last grand advance of the Army of the Potomac, the Four-
teenth Regiment, as usual, was in the advance. It participated in the
engagement at Hatcher's Run, the assault on Fort Stedman, which
resulted in the speedy downfall of Petersburg, and the surrender of
Lee at Appomattox. The Fourteenth, now reduced to one hundred
men, proceeded to Barksdale, where it remained in camp until April
24, when it moved to Danville to take part in General Sherman's opera-
tions against General Johnston. Almost simultaneously news was
received of Johnston's surrender, and the war was ended. The regiment
remained at Danville until May 16 when it proceeded by rail to Rich-
mond, whence it marched to Washington, and on June 8 was reviewed in
that city. It was formally mustered out of service June 19, proceeded
to Trenton the following day, and on the 29th received final payment.
The men who had shared so many perils together for nearly three years
exchanged farewells, and separated to again join the old familiar paths
of peace.
Twenty-eighth Regiment — ^The Twenty-eighth Regiment was recruited
in Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Camden and Gloucester counties, and
mustered into the United States service for nine months. The regiment
might be rightly named "Middlesex's Own," as of its ten companies
Company A was recruited in Middlesex and Monmouth counties, while
Companies B, C, D, F, I and K were raised wholly in Middlesex county.
The Twenty-eighth was mustered into service at Freehold, Septem-
ber 22, 1862, nine hundred and forty strong. The regiment reached
Washington on the night of October 5, encamped on Capitol Hill, and
was furnished a few days afterwards with Springfield muskets. On the
13th the regiment marched into Virginia, where after several diflferent
camping stations it finally on December 8 proceeded to Falmouth. Here
It was attached to the First Brigade, Third Division, Second Army Corps.
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The plans for a demonstration against Fredericksburg having been
matured, the Twenty-eighth crossed the Rappahannock river, marched
into position, and about ten o'clock in the morning of October 12 was
ordered into line and at once advanced upon the enemy. The advance
was made in the face of a murderous fire, the ranks of the regiment being
terribly thinned, not less than one-fifth of the regiment having been
wounded or killed. Still, however, the command stood firm, deliberately
opening fire upon the enemy from the shelter of a ravine, holding their
position tenaciously until night put an end to the conflict. Darkness
coming on, the Twenty-eighth withdrew to the town, leaving on the
field nearly two hundred of the six hundred who had advanced in the
morning. From first to last the men fought with the same heroism, the
same cool determination, as the veteran troops around them.
The regiment remained in camp until April 28, when Hooker's move-
ment against the enemy having commenced, it marched to United States
Ford, where it was detailed for picket service. Two days later it led the
advance in crossing the river, and pushed forward immediately to the
Chancellor House. The regiment formed in line of battle May 2, but was
not engaged until the following day, when it was detached from the
brigade and posted in a woods some three or four hundred yards distant.
A reconnaisance was made, and it was discovered that the regiment was
close upon the rebel line. The enemy suddenly made an attack in great
force on the front and right flank of the regiment, causing the line to
give way. The Twenty-eighth, though vastly outnumbered, behaved
with characteristic gallantry, delivered a vigorous fire, and retired to its
position with the brigade. The loss of the regiment in this action was
some thirty killed, wounded and missing. During the 4th and 5th the
regiment remained in line of battle but was not engaged, the fighting
having shifted to another part of the line. On the 6th the regiment
withdrew from its position and returned with the army to the camp near
Falmouth. Here it remained until June 14 when Lee having started
towards the Upper Potomac, Hooker's army moved in pursuit, the
Twenty-eighth marching by way of Stafford Court House and Dumfries
to Fairfax Station. Here, its term of service having expired, it was
diverted from the route pursued by the army and proceeded to Wash-
ington, thence it was sent to Freehold, and on July 6, 1863, was mustered
out of service. .
Thus has been briefly sketched the part that Middlesex county took in
the war between the States. Many of her citizens were connected with
other regimental organizations. A number were members of Companies
A, B and H of the Sixteenth Regiment, better known as the First Regi-
ment of Cavalry, which was authorized by an order given by President
Lincoln, August 4, 1861, to William Halsted, to raise a regiment of volun-
teer cavalry in the State of New Jersey.
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143
RECORD OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY MEN IN THE CIVIL WAR.
FIRST REGIMENT.
Non-Commissioned Staff. — Provost, Wil-
liam S., sergt. Co. G, May 18, 1861 ;
sergt-maj. Sept 21, 1861; pro. to 2d
lieut. Co. K, nth Regt.. July 15. 1862;
pro. to 1st lieut Co. B, May 4, 1863;
disch. Oct 9* 1863, dis.
Company A. — ^Dunham, Samuel H., ist
sergt. Mav 16, j86i; disch. at Gen.
Hosp., Fairfax Sem., Va., July 9, 1862,
dis.
Crossan, Cornelius, recruit, Aug. 13, 1861 ;
disch. at Camp Banks, Va., Jan. 22, 1863,
dis.
Company B. — Kelly, Edward, private,
April 25, 1861; re-enl. Dec. 28, 1863;
served in Co. A, ist Batt; must out
July 20, 1865.
O'Brien, Michael, private, April 25, 1861;
must out. July 23, 1864.
Wickoff, Peter, private, April 25, 1861;
killed in action at Manassas, Va., Aug.
27, 1862.
Williamson, William H., private, April 25,
1861 ; taken prisoner at Wilderness,
May 6, 1864; died of scurvy at Ander-
son ville, Ga., Nov. 26, 1864; buried at
Nat. Cem., Andersonville.
Whitlock, George W. H., private, June 15,
1861 ; must out June 23, 1864.
Company C. — Roberts, Edward F.. sergt,
May 22, 1861 ; ist sergt June 8, 1861 ;
1st lieut Tuly 2, 1862; pro. capt Co. H,
Nov. 4. I062 ; must out June 23, 1864.
Phelan, Thomas C, sergt.. May 22, i8iSi;
1st sergt. Aug. 4, 1862; 2d lieut Oct. 7,
1862; resigned Feb. 12, 1863.
Smith, J. Kearney, corp.. May 22, 1861;
sergt. June 7, 1861 pro. adjt 27th Regt.
Oct 9, 1862; pro. capt Co. K, Nov. 11,
1862; res. Dec. 22, 1862; bvt. maj. U. S.
Vols. March 13, 1865.
Stumpf, Philip, corp.. May 22, 1861 ;
sergt. Sept 26, 1861 ; ist sergt. Jan. 10,
1863; must out June 23, 1864.
Benton, William H., ist sergt.. May 22,
1861; disch. at Camp Sem., Va., Sept.
19, 1861, dis.
Faller, John, corp.. May 22, 1861 ; killed
in action at Gaines' Farm, Va., June 27,
1862.
Hallman, Henry, corp.. May 22, 1861 ;
sergt. Aug. 6, 1862; killed in action at
Wilderness, Va., May 5, 1864.
Magnice, Patrick, corp., Jan. 16, 1862;
sergt July 7, 1862 ; disch. at U. S. Army
Hosp., Phila., by order War Dept, Oct
II, i8(S4.
Carrigan, Thomas, private, May 22, 1861 ;
corp. July 2, 1802; paroled prisoner;
disch. May 10^ 1865.
Cody, Martin, private, May 22, 1861 ; de-
serted at camp near Belle Plain, Va.,
Dec. 10, 1862.
Conover, Thomas, private, May 22, 1861;
corp. April 2, 1802; killed in action at
Spottsylvania C. H., Va., May 12, 1864.
Cox, James, private, May 22, i^i ; killed
in action at Crampton's Pass, Md., Sept.
14. 1862.
Cheesman, George, private. May 22, 1861 ;
deserted July 27, 1861, at Camp Prince-
ton, Va.
Dilling, Henry, private, May 22, 1861;
trans, to Vet Res. Corps Nov. 15, 1863;
disch. therefrom April 27, 1864.
Disbrow, William H. H., private. May 22,
1862; deserted July 27, 1861, at Camp
Princeton, Va.
Foster, John, recruit, Oct. 13, 1861 ; de-
serted April 17, 1862; returned to duty;
sentenced by G. C. M. to make good
time lost; served in Co. A, ist Batt;
must, out June 29, 1865.
Guinot Jean F., private. May 22, 1861 ;
deserted Jan. 20, 1863, at camp near
White Oak Church, Va.
Hamilton, William, private, May 22, 1861 ;
died at field hosp., May 6, 1864, of
wounds received m action at Wilder-
ness, Va.
Hamilton, Archy, private, May 22, 1861 ;
must, out June 23, 1864.
Lott Thomas, private, May 22, 1861 ;
must out June 23, 1864.
Mullin, Patrick, private. May 22. 1861;
deserted Sept. 20, 1862, near Williams-
port, Md.
Miller, Henry, private, May 22, 1861;
must, out June 2^, 1864.
Noe, Adam, private. May 22, 1861; de-
serted July 9, 1863, at Emmittsburg, Md.
0*Neil, John, private. May 22, 1861 ; died
of typhoid fever, etc., at hospital near
Mechanics ville, Va., June 15, 1862.
Perry, John J., corp.. May 22, 1861 ; killed
in action at Gaines' Farm, Va., Jime 27,
1862.
Reilley, Michael, private. May 22, 1861;
trans, to Vet Res. Corps Sept i, 1863;
returned to company Jan. 28, 1864 ; corp.
Dec. 8, 1862; must out June 23, 1864.
Roberts, Charles H., corp. May 22, 1861;
died at Master St. Hosp., Philadelphia,
Sept. 20, 1862, of wounds received in
action at Gaines' Farm, Va.
Stafford, Joseph, private, May 22, 1861;
died at U. S. Army Hosp., Baltimore,
Md., May 23. 1864, of wounds received
in action at Spottsylvania, Va.
Stafford, Thomas, private. May 22, 1861;
must, out June 2Z9 1864.
Sharbock, William, private, May 22, 1861 ;
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MIDDLESEX
disch. at U. S. Army Gen. Hosp., Phila-
delphia, Oct. 22, i8/&, dis.
Tappan, David B., private, May 22, 1861 ;
killed in action at Salem Heights, Va.,
May 3, 1862.
JWelsh, Dennis, private, May 22, i8j5i ; de-
serted at camp near Belle Plain, Va,,
Dec. 10, 1862.
Winchester, Perley F., corp.. May 22,
1861 ; missing in action at Salem
Heights, Va., May 3, 1863; supposed
dead.
Wittenburg, Bustav, private, May 22, 1861 ;
must, out June 23, 1864.
Company E.— Ailt, Joseph, private. May
23, 1861: disch. at U. S. Army Gen.
Hosp., Newark, N. J., Oct. 7, 1862, dis.
Casney, James H., private, May 23, 1861 ;
deserted April 18, 1863 ; re-enl. Dec. 28,
1863; served in Co. A, ist Batt.
Rosser, Warren, recruit, Aug. 28, 1862;
trans, to navy April 18, 1864.
Company F. — Elkin, Isaac L. F., ist sergt,
May 25, 1861 ; 2d lieut vice Voorhecs,
resigned. Sept 21, 1861 ; pro. to ist lieut.
Co. H, Oct. 7, 1862; trans, to Co. D,
March 14, 1863; P^o. to adjt. Sept. 20,
1863 ; disch. as a paroled prisoner March
12, 1865.
Blue, Albert L., sergt., May 25, 1861 ; ist
sergt. Sept 21, 1861; 2d lieut. Oct 7,
i8fe; pro. 1st lieut., Co. I, Dec. 25,
1862 ; must, out June 23, 1864.
DeHart, James W., sergt., May 25, 1861 ;
1st sergt. Nov. i, 1861 ; must out Jime
23. 1864.
Smith, George, sergt.. May 25, 1861 ; must,
out June 23, 1864.
Taylor, George W., sergt.. May 18, 1861 ;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Philadel-
phia, June 26, 1862, dis.
Croken, John H., 1st corp., May 18. 1861 ;
1st sergt. Dec. 8, 1862; deserted March
I, 1863, while on furlough.
McElhaney, Thomas, corp.. May 25, 1861 ;
sergt. Aug. i, i8i53; re-enl. Dec. 28.
1863: served in Co. B, ist Batt; must
out June 29, 1865.
Garrigan, Miles, corp.. May i8^ 1861;
sergt. Nov. i, 1862; killed in action at
Fredericksburg, Va., May 3, 1863.
Hughes, William S.. private, May 25, 1861 ;
re-enl. Dec 28, 1803; served in Co. B,
1st Batt; must, out June 29, 1865.
Voorhees, Richard B., corp., May 25, 1861 ;
private, April 18, 1863; must out June
23, 1864.
Moffett, Benjamin L., corp., May 25, 1861 ;
sergt. Sept i, 1862; 2d lieut March 10,
1863; killed in action at Wilderness,
Va., May 8, 1864.
Souville, Lloyd A., corp.. May 18, 1861;
disch. at U. S. Army Gen. Hosp., Wash-
ington, D. C, Dec 13, 1862, dis.
Page, Enoch, corp.. May 18, 1861 ; disdi. at
U. S. Army Gen. Hosp., Philadelphia,
Sept 20, 1862, dis.
Croken, James A., musician, June 17, 1861 ;
disch. at Trenton, N. J., July 30, 1864.
Blake, Price P., wagoner, May 18, 1861;
killed in action at Spottsylvania, Va.,
May 9. 1864; buried at Nat. Cem., Fred-
eridcsburg, Va.
Barry, Richard, private^ Tune 10, 1861 ;
corp. Nov. I, 1062; died at Fredericks-
burg, May 6, 1864, of wounds received
in action there.
Britton, Edward M., private. May 18,
1861; corp. July I, 1863; must, out
June 23, ITO4.
Bums, James, private. May 18, 1861 ; died
at U. S. A. Hosp., West Philadelphia,
Aug. 7, 1862, of wounds received in ac-
tion at Gaines' Farm, Va.
Burke, Peter, private. May 18, 1861 ; disch.
Nov. 4, 1SS2, to join regular army.
Boyce, Ambrose, private, June 5, 1861;
died July i, 1862, of wounds received
in action at Gaines' Farm. Va.
Breese, William H. H„ private. May 18,
1 861; deserted July 31, 1861, at Camp
Princeton, Va.
Cain, Felix V., private, June 10. 1861;
disch. at U. S. Army Gen. Hosp., Balti-
more, Md., Nov. 6, 1862, dis.
Currie, Thomas, private, May 18, 1861;
disch. at U. S. Army Gen. Hosp., Ports-
mouth Grove, R. I., March 5, 1863, dis.
Cook, Samuel, private, May 18, 1861;
disqh. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Ports-
mouth Grove, R. I., Jan. 9t 1063* dis.
Christian, Henry P., pnvate. May 18, 1861 ;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Annapo-
lis, Md.. Feb. 16, 1863, dis.
Carroll, Thomas, private, May 18, 1861;
disch. at White Oak Church, Va., Jan,
3, 1863, dis.
Cherry, John B., private, May 18, 1861;
disch. at Camp Olden, Trenton, N.* J.,
June 20, 1861, dis.
Churchward, Abraham, private. May 18,
1861; deserted June 10, 1861, at Camp
Olden, Trenton.
Dunn, George A., private, May 18, 1861;
taken prisoner at Wilderness, Va., May
6, 1864 ; died at Andersonville, Ga., Oct
8, 1864 ; buried there in Nat Cem.
Dunn, Patrick, private, Jime 5, 1861;
•trans, to Co. F, 4th Regt., June 4, 1864;
re-enl. Dec. 28, 1863: $ed at Winches-
ter, Va., Sept. 20, 1864, of wounds re-
ceived in action there, buried there.
Dobson, Alexander, private. May 18,
1861; killed in action at Wilderness,
Va., May 6, 1864.
Dobson, Henry, private. May 18, 1861;
deserted July 18, 1863, on march to Get-
tysburg, Pa.
Dinton, James, recruit Sept 25, 1861;
corp. Nov. I, 1862; 1st sergt April 3,
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WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
145
1863 ; re-cnl. Dec. 28, 1863 ; com. 2d
Heut Co. F, 33d Regt., Dec i, 1864;
not mustered; pro. ist lieut. Co. A, ist
Batt, Feb. 2, iSiSs; served in Co. C, ist
Batt
Engster, John J., private, June 5, 1861;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Philadel-
phia, Jan. 16, 1863, dis.
Finnegan, Edward, private, June 10, 1861 ;
Corp. March i, 1863; sergt. July i, 1863;
must out June 23, 1864.
Ferguson, Philip, private. May 18, 1861 ;
deserted July 18, 1863, on march to Get-
tysburg, Fa.
Ferguson, Daniel, private, May 18, 1861;
re-enl Dec 28, 1863; served in Co. C,
1st Batt. ; must, out June 29, 1865.
Ferry, James, private. May 18, 1861 ; disch.
at Camp Banks, Va., Jan. 12, 1863, dis.
Fank, Charles, private. May 18, i^i;
must out June 23, 1864.
Fleming, Christopher, private. May 18,
1861; disch. at Camp Seminary, Va.,
Feb. 3, 1862, dis.
Gaisbauer, Charles, private. May 18, 1861 ;
deserted Oct 25, 1862, at West Phila-
delphia, Pa.
Gack, Jacob, private. May 18, 1861 ; disch.
at Portsmouth Grove, R. I., Dec 27,
1862, dis.
Guemsay, Silas, private, May 18, 1861;
re-enl. Feb. 11, 1864; served in Co. B.
1st Batt. ; must out June 20, 1865.
Haggerty, Bernard, private. May 18, 1861 ;
Corp. Sept I, 1802; sergt Nov. i, 1862;
private, Feb. 25, 1864; sergt. March i,
1864; must out June 23, 1864.
Hooker, George W., private, May 18,
1861; sergt. March i, 1863; died at U.
S. A. Hosp., Fredericksburg, Va., May
14, 1864, of wounds received in action
at Wilderness, Va.
Henry, Walter M., private, May 18. 1861 ;
Corp. Nov. I, i8(S2; trans, to Vet Res.
Corps Nov. IS, 1863; disch. therefrom
May 21. 1864.
Hazard, John N., private, May 18, 1861;
Corp. Sept I, 1862; deserted July 16,
1863; returned to duty Feb. 10, 1864;
must, out Dec. 10, 1864.
Hickey, Thomas, private, May 18, 1861;
must out June 23, 1864.
Hoagland, Wyckoff V., private. May 18,
i8(5i; re-enl. Dec 28, 1863; served in
Co. C, 1st Batt.; must out June 29,
1865.
Hutchinson, John H., private. May 18,
1861; Corp. May 25, 1861; must out
June 23, 1864.
Jackson, Charles C, recruit, Sept. 24, 1863 ;
trans, to Co. K; served in Co. B, ist
Batt.; must out June 29, 1865.
Kemp, Thomas, private, May 18, 1861;
must out June 2Z. 1864.
Kinney, Daniel, private. May 18, 1861;
Mid-.10
corp. March i, 1863; must out June
^Z. 1864.
Klein, John H., private. May 18, 1861 ;
disch. at Camp Seminary, Va., Feb. 7,
1862, dis.
Lester, John H., private. May 18, 1861;
disch. at U. S. A. Hosp., West Philadel-
phia, Pa., Dec 24, 1803, on account of
wounds received in action; leg ampu-
tated.
Lowry, James, private, May 18, 1861;
re-enl. Dec 28, 1863; served in Co.
A, 1st Batt.; must out June 2Z, 1864.
McGrath, Morris, private. May i8> i8i5i;
disch. at U. S. A. Hosp., Newark, Jan,
20, 1863, <lis.
McDonald, Martin, private. May 18, 1861;
must out June 23, 1864.
McGovem, retcr, private, May 18, 1861;
disch. at Alexandria, Va., Jan. 15, 1863,
dis.
Meyers, Julius, private. May 18, 1861;
must out June 23, 1&S4.
Miller, John, private, May 18^ 1861; must
out. June 23, 1864.
Martin, John, private. May 18, 1861 ; must.
out June 23, 1864.
Morris, John, private. May 18, 1861 ; killed
in action at Gaines Farm, Va., June 27,
1862.
McSpadcn, James, private, Aug. 13, 1861;
disch. at C
4, 1862, dis.
disch. at Camp Seminary,
Vug. 13
, Va.,
March
O'Connor, John, private, June 5, 1861;
trans, to Mississippi gun-boat "Flotilla"
Feb. 22, 1862.
0*Neil, John, private. May 18, 1861 ; must
out June 23, 1864.
Osman, George H., private, May 18, 1861 ;
disch. at Camp Seminary, Va., Oct. 18,
1 861, dis.
Plum, Benijah M., private. May 18. 1861;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Fortress
Monroe, Va., Sept 18, 1862, dis.
Pixton, Henry A., private. May 18, 1861;
must out June 23, 1864.
Page, John D., private. May 18, 1861;
disch. U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Fairfax
Seminary, Va,, Sept. 13, 1862, dis.
Prall, David B. S., private, June 18, 1861 ;
died at Richmond, Va., JTuly 5, 1862, of
wounds received in action at Gaines'
Farm; prisoner of war.
Perdan, Charles A., private. May 18, 1861 ;
deserted May 26, 1861, at Camp Olden,
Trenton, N. J.
Ryno, Joseph, private. May 18, 1861 ;
disch. at Convalescent Camp, Alexan-
dria, Va., Oct. II, 1862, dis.; sergt. May
25. 1861.
Reed, Stephen M., private. May 18, 1861 ;
re-enL Feb. 11, 1864; served in Co. B,
1st Batt ; must out July 6, 1865.
Reames, Patrick H., private. May 18, 1861 ;
must, out June 23, 1864.
Digitized by
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146
MIDDiLESEX
t
Rhodes, Edward, recruit, May 19, 1864;
served in Co. B, 1st Batt.; must, out
June 29, 1865.
Riker, Joseph L., private. May 18, 1861;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Philadel-
phia, Pa., June 2, 1862, dis.
Royer, Moses H., private, May 18, 1861 ;
disch. at Camp Seminary, Va., Nov. 4,
1861, dis.
Swan, George W., private. May 18, 1861 ;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Philadel-
phia, Pa., Dec. II, 1862, dis.
Stout, William A., private. May 18, 1861 ;
re-enl. Dec 28, 1863; served in Co. B,
1st Batt. ; must out June 29, 1865.
Smith, Edward W., private. May 18, 1861 ;
Corp. Oct. 20, 1863; must, out June 23,
1864.
Soden, James D., private. May 18, 1861;
dishonorably disch. Aug. 9, 1863, at
Warrenton, Va.; deserted at Camp
Princeton, July 28, 1861; returned to
duty July 18, 1863.
Smith, James, private, May 18, 1861;
disch. at Camp Olden, June 18, 1861, dis.
Ten Broeck, Van Renseler, private, Aug.
13, 1861; Corp. Nov. I, 1862; deserted
June 28, 1863 ; returned to duty ; disch.
by order War Dcpt, May 17, 1865.
Van Tillburgh, William, private. May 18,
1861 ; deserted April 28, 1863; at White
Oak Church, Va.
Voorhees, George W., private. May 18,
1861 ; disch. Dec. 11, 1862, to join regu-
lar army.
Welsh, Michael, private. May 18, 1861 ;
must, out June 23, 1864.
Welsh, Patrick, private, May 18, 1861;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Newark,
May 14, 1863, dis. "
Welsh, Thomas, privace. May 18, 1861;
must, out Jime 23, 1864.
Wilson, George, private, June 5, 1861;
died at U. S. A. Hosp., Washington, D.
C, of wounds received in action at Cold
Harbor, Va. ; buried at Alexandria.
Company G. — Gilman, Howard M., ist
scrgt. May 28, 1861; sergt-maj. July
20, 1862; 2d lieut vice Wyckoft, pro.
Aug. 16, 1862; ist lieut Co. E, Nov. 27,
1862, vice Taylor res.; must, out June
23. 1864.
Way, Alexander M., capt, May 28, 1861 ;
pro. maj., July 21, 1863; brev. lieut-
col. and col. March 13, 1865.
Meserole, Nicholas W., sergt., May 23,
1861 ; disch. at Trenton, Oct. 6, 1862, to
accept a com. as ist lieut. Co. G, 133d
Regt. N. J. State Vols.
Van Liew, Augustus D., corp.. May 28^
1861; sergt Sept i, 1862; re-enl. Dec.
28, 1863; served in Co. B, ist Batt.;
disch. at hosp., Newark, by order War
Dept, Aug. 9^ i9Ss.
Halstead, Isaac S., private, May 23, 1861 ;
deserted April 28, 1863. at White Oak
Church, Va, ; corp. May 28, 1861 ; pri-
vate April II, 1862.
Dansbury, William F., corp.. May 23, 1861 ;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., New York
City, Dec. i, 1862, dis.
Buzzee, Alexander, private. May 23, 1861 ;
must, out June 23, 1864.
Buzzee, George R., musician. May 23,
186 1 ; taken prisoner at Wilderness,
Va., May 5, 1864; died at Florence, S.
C, Dec. 10,. 1864.
Abrahams, Austin, recruit, Aug. 15, 1861 ;
served in 4th Regt.; must out Aug. 26,
1864.
Buckley, John, private. May 25. 1861;
taken prisoner at Wilderness, Va., May
6, 1864; died at Andersonville, Ga., June
27, 1864.
Bogart, Charles C, private. May 23, 1861 ;
re-enl. Dec. 28, 1863: trans, to Vet Res.
Corps March 25, iSSs ; disch. therefrom
Oct. 25, 1865.
Clayton, William H., private, May 23,
1861; disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp.,
Philadelphia, Pa., Sept 16, 1862; re-enl.
Feb. 26, 1864; disch. March 28, 1864,
dis.
Davis, William L., recruit, Aug. 15, 1861 ;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Philadel-
phia, Pa., Jan. 5, 1863, dis.
Delhanty, John, recruit, Aug. 1$, 1861;
re-enl. Dec 28, 1863; served in Co. B,
1st Batt. ; must out June 29, 1865.
De Hart, Jacob S., private. May 23, 1861 ;
must out June 23, 1864.
Lawrence. John, recruit, Aug. 15, 1861;
corp. Jan. i, 1863; disch. at Strasburfl^
Va., Aug. 14, 1864; served in Co. D, 4m
Regt.
Lewis, John T., recruit, Aug. 15, 1861;
trans, to Co. G, 4th Regt.; must out
Aug. 20, 1864.
Lewis, William H., private. May 23, 1861 ;
must, out June 23, 1864.
Long, Edward B., private. May 23, 1861 ;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Phila-
delphia, Pa., Sept 29, 1862, dis.
Mintum, Edward, Jr., private, May 23,
1861 ; disch. at New Brunswick. N. J.,
Oct, 29, 1862, to accept a promotion.
Mintum, Benjamin G., private. May 23,
1861; disch. at Belle Plain, Va., Dec.
18, 1862, to accept com. as ist lieut Co.
C, Q2d Regt. N. J. State Vols.
. Mesrole, William, private, May 23, 1861 ;
I killed in action at Gaines' Farm, Va.,
June 27, 1862.
Phillips, Theodore F., sergt. May 23,
186 1 ; killed in action at Wilderness,
Va., May 6, 1864 ; buried at Frederidcs-
burg, Va.
De Hart James H., private, May 23, 1861 ;
Corp. Oct. 25, 1862; disch. to join the
Signal Corps U. S. A.
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WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
147
Price, George W., Jr., private, May 23,
1 861; Corp. April 23, 1863; must, out
June 23, 1864.
Peacock, John, private, Mav 23, 1861;
disch. at Trenton, Nov. 2, 1864 ; paroled
prisoner.
Rausch, Peter, private. May 23, 1861 ; died
of typhoid fever at Regt Hosp., at Har-
rison's Landing, Va., July 31, 1862.
Seibert, George, private. May 23, 1861;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Philadel-
phia, Pa., Jan. 15, 1863; disability.
Skillman, David, recruit, Aug. 15, 1861;
must out Aug. 19, 1864.
Smith, Osceola, private. May 23, 1861 ;
disch. at Fairfax Seminary, Va., Sept.
6, 1861, disability.
Vanderbilt, Cornelius, private, May 23,
1861; must, out June 23, 1864.
Van Duyne, Isaac, private. May 23, 1861 ;
trans, to Vet. Res. Corps, July i, 1863.
Van Fleet, Abraham, private, May 23,
186 1 ; disch. at Convalescent Camp,
Alexandria, Va., March 16, 1863; disa-
bility.
Van Liew, John H., fifer. May 28. 1861 ;
Corp. Dec. 8^ 1S62; must out June 23,
1864.
NINTH REGIMENT.
Gulick, William A., sergt-maj.. Sept 23,
1861; disch. at Newbeme, N. C., for
disability, April 25, 1862.
Company A. — Grovcr, Charles, ist sergt.
Sept. 17, 1861; 2d lieut vice MuUer,
must, out; res. Oct. 30, 1864.
Stillwell, Symmes H., sergt., Sept. 17,
1861 ; must out Dec 8, 1864.
j\pplegate, Arunah D., sergt. Sept 17,
1861; 1st sergt. Jan. 18, 1864; re-enl.
Jan. 18, 1864; 2d lieut vice Grovcr, res.;
res. May 13, 1865.
Mount, John G., corp. Sept 17, 1861;
must out Sept, 22, 1864.
Clayton, David C, private, Sept. 17, 1861 ;
Corp. April 24, 1862; sergt. Sept. 6,
1864; must, out Dec. 8, 1864.
Messroll, Charles, corp., Sept 17, 1861;
must, out Dec. 7, 1864.
Wood, Reuben V. P.. corp., Sept 17, 1862;
sergt. Sept 18, 1063; re-enl. Jan. 18,
1864; 1st sergt Jan. i, 1865; com. 2d
lieut May 22, 10S5; not must; must
out July 12, 1865.
Applegate, John, private, Sept. 17, 1861 ;
re-enl. Nov. 25, 1863; disdi. at New
York City by telegraphic instruction
War Dept, May 4, 1865.
Arlow, Robert, private. Sept 17, 1862;
must out Oct. IS, 1864.
Hoagland, Cornelius B., private. Sept 17,
1801; corp. July I, 1S63; re-enl. Nov.
25, 1863; sergt Nov. i, 1864; must out
July 12, 1864.
Clayton, William, private, Sept. 17, 1861;
re-enl. Nov. 25, 1863 ; missmg in action
at Drury's Bluff, Va., May 16, 1864;
died at Florence, S. C, Nov. 18, 1864.
Cook, James, private, Sept 17, 106 1; re-
enl. Jan. 18, 1864; must out July 12,
1865.
Carman, Luke K., private, Sept 5, 1864;
must, out June 14, 1865.
Dugan, Thomas, private, Sept 17, 1861;
died of typhoid fever at Newberne, N.
C, April 30, 1865.
Fisher, Henry C, recruit, Feb. 29, 1864;
corp. Dec. 8^ 1864; must out July 12,
Garry, John, private, Sept 17, 1861; re-
enl. Jan. 18, 1864; disch. by order War
Dept., May 4» 1865.
Harris, William, private, Sept 17, 1861 ;
trans, to Vet. Res. Corps Sept i, 1863;
disch. therefrom Nov. 10, 1805.
Ives, Milton J., private. Sept 17, 1861;
must out Dec. 7, 1864.
Kelley, John E., recruit, Feb. 22, 1864;
must out July 12, 1865.
Messroll, B. Isaac, private, Sept. 17, 1861 ;
re-enl. Jan. 18, 1864; must out July 12,
1865.
McGintay, Michael, private, Sept. 17, 1861 ;
trans, to Vet Res. Corps S^t. i, 1863;
disch. therefrom March 18, 1864.
Bonham, Lucius C, corp.. Sept 17, 1861 ;
sergt. June 15, 1863; re-enL Jan. 18,
1864; 2d lieut Co. H Sept. 10, 1864;
1st lieut. March 16, 1865; capt. vice
Applegate, promoted ; must out July 12,
1865.
Rolfe, George N., piivate, Sept 17. 1861;
trans, to Vet Res. ♦Corps.; disch. there-
from Sept 21, 1864.
Poxberry, Joseph, private, Sept 17, 1861 ;
must, out Dec. 7, 1864.
Stults, Simeon, private, Sept 17, 1861;
must out Sept 22, 1864.
Scully, John, private, Sept 17, 1861 ; died
at Held hosp., July 9, 1864, of wounds
received in action at Petersburg, Va.
Snediker, Howard, private, Sept. 17, 1861 ;
must, out Dec. 7, 1864.
Stout William K., privat^ Sept 17, 1861 ;
re-enl. Jan. 18, 1864: disdi. at hospital,
Newark, May 3, 1805.
Stults. Salter S., private, June 5, 1862;
died at Charleston, prisoner of war, Oc-
tober, 1S64.
Silvers, William H., recruit Feb. 29, 1864;
died at field hospital near Petersburg,
Va., Aug. I, 1864.
Vanhise, Andrew M., private, Sept. 17,
1861 ; re-enl. Jan. 18, 1864; must, out
July 12, 1865.
Vandervere, David G., private, March i,
1864; trans, to S. R. S. March 24, 1864.
Witcraft, Albert, private, Sept 17, 1861;
Digitized by
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148
MIDDLESEX
re-enl. Jan. i8, 1864; must, out July 12,
1865.
Company B. — Blackeny, Moses C, corp.,
Sept. 18^ 1861 ; sergt May 28. 1863; re-
eni. January, 1864; must out July 12,
1865.
Bennett, John, corp., Sept. 18, 1861 ; sergt
June II, 1802; re-enl. Nov. 26, 1863; 2d
lieut March 16, 1865; ist lieut vice
Sheppard, pro. April 10, 1865; must
out July 12, 1865.
De Hart. Theodore, corp., Sept 18, 1861 ;
sergt. Oct. 16, 1863; must out Dec 7,
1864.
Hoyes, Eugene M., sergt. Sept 18, 1861 ;
drowned at foot of Barclay street. New
York City, Oct. 24, 1863 ; while on fur-
lough.
Vanderhoef, Robert B., private, Sept. 18,
1861 ; must out Dec 8, 1864^
Lawrence, John, private, Oct 6, 1861 ;
disch. at Beaufort, N. C, Oct. 18, 1862,
dis.
Currie, Edward, corp.. Sept 28, 1861 ; de-
serted Sept. 5, 1863, at New Brunswick,
N. J., while on a furlough.
Acker, Francis, recruit Feb. 26, 1864;
must, out July 12, 1865.
Butterworth, Jonathan, private. Sept 18,
1 861; disch. at Newbeme, N. C, May
30, 1863, dis.
Buckley, Thomas, private. Sept 26. 1861;
disch, at Morehead City, N. C, Nov. I7»
1862, dis.
Boudinot, William B., private. Sept 26,
1 861 ; disch. at Camp Olden, Trenton,
Nov. 2, 1861, dis.
Bloodgood, Phineas F., private. Sept 26,
1861 ; disch.^ at Morehead City, N. C,
Oct. 23, 1862; wounded accidentally.
Boorman, Edgar J., private, Oct. 12, 1861 ;
disch. at Camp Olden, Trenton, N. J.,
Nov. 2, 1861 ; dis.
breese, Henry, private, Oct 4. 1861 ; disch.
at Morehead City, N. C, Nov. 17, 1863,
dis.
Carolan, Patrick, recruit, Oct. 6, 1864.
Cosier, John W., private, Sept 26, 1861;
disch. at Newbeme, N. C, May 30, 1863,
dis. •
Clerkin, John, private, Sept. 18, 1861 ; must
out. Dec. 7, 1864.
Church, George W., private, Oct 8, 1861 ;
re-enl. Nov. 26, 1863; disch. at New
York May 4, 1865, by order War Dcpt
Coburri, Charles A., brivate, Sept 18, 1801 ;
Deserted April, 1S63; returned to duty
July 27, 1864; must out Dec 8, 1864.
Cahill, Francis, private, Sept 18, 1861.
Crawford, James, private, Sept 18, 1861.
Pierson, John L., corp., Sept. 18, 1861;
disch. at Helena Island, S. C, March 28,
1863, dis.
Collins, William, private. Sept 26, 1861;
deserted Oct. i, 1861, at Camp Olden,
Trenton, N. J.
Dye, Walter J., private. Sept 18. 1861;
deserted Oct. 2, 1861, at Camp Olden,
Trenton, N. J.
Dye, Isaac S., private, Sept 18, 1861;
trans, to Co. C, 4th Regt, Aug. 21, 1861.
Danberry, Henry M., private, Sept 2&,
1861; disch. at Newbeme, N. C, May
30, 1863, dis.
Danberry, William, private, Sept. 18, 1861 ;
disch. at Annapolis, Md., Jan. 22, 1863;
paroled prisoner.
Dock, Isaac, wagoner, Oct 2, 1861 ; re-
enl Jan. iS, 1864; must out July 12,
1865.
Deady, John, private, Sept. 18, 1861;
disch, at Trenton, N. J.; paroled pris-
oner.
Disbrow, Ferdinand, private, Oct 16,
1861 ; died at Hosp. Roanoke, N. C, of
wounds received in action at Roanoke
Island, N. C
Dye, Walter, private. Sept 2, 1861 ; disch.
at Newport News, Va., Nov. 20, 1863,
dis.
Fowler, Joseph W., private. Sept 26, 1861 ;
disch. at Newbeme, N. C, Nov. 17,
1862, dis.
Gould. Richard N., private, Sept 18, 1861.
Gray, David V. D.. Sept iS, 1861 ; disch,
at Norfolk, on detadied service Sept
22. 1864.
Hall, Reuben, private, Feb. 27, 1862;
re-enl.
Harrison, George W., private, Aug. 15,
1862.
Hughes. Theodore V., private. Sept 18,
1861.
Houghton, Michael, Sept 18, 1861 ; trans.
to Co. C, 4th Regt.
Hagerty. Daniel, private. Sept 18, 1861;
must, out Dec 8. 1864.
Hopkins, Simon F., private, Sept 29,
1864.
Johnson, William, private, Dec. 3, 1861;
re-enl. June 18, 1864; must out July
12, 1865.
Labone, Wallace W., private. Sept 20,
1861; disdi. at Morehead City. N. C,
Nov. 17, 1862, of wounds received in
action at Roanoke Island.
Lally, Patrick, private, Sept 27, 1861;
disch. at Newbeme, N. C., March i,
1863, dis.
Lawless, Peter, private. Sept 24, 1861.
Moore, William H., Sept 20, 1861,
Moore, Thomas B., private, Aug. 29, 1861 ;
missing in action at Dmr/s Bluff, Va.,
May 16, 1864.
Murphy, James, private. Sept 5, 1862.
Morris, William, private, Oct 8, 1861;
re-enl. Dec 20, 1863; must out July
12, 1865.
Meyers, John, private. Sept 18, 1861;
trans, to Vet Res. Corps.; disch. Sept
2t, 1864.
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WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
149
Munslow, Isaac P. H., private, Oct i,
1861; deserted at Ca^p Olden, Tren-
ton, Nov. 2, 1861.
McClay, James, private. Sept 18, 1861 ;
disch. at Trenton, N. J., Dec. 31, 1864.
McAndrew, Allen, recruit, Jan. 12, 1864.
Montaloo, Frank, recruit, Feb. 11, 1864.
Nevius, Benjamin F., recruit, Jan. ^, 1862.
Prall, James, musician, Oct 2, 1801 ; re-
enl. Jan. 18; 1864; must out July 12,
1865.
Pierman, Garret V., recruit Feb. 27, 1864.
Re)iiolds, James, private, Sept 26, 1861 ;
disch. at Morehead City, ^f. C, May 7»
1863, dis.
Silcox, Bergen, private. Sept 24, 1861.
Shardlow, William, private, Sept. 18, 1861.
Skillman, Joaldn, private, Sept 18, 1861;
deserted Tan. 8, 1862; returned to duty
Aug. I, 1864; must out July 12, 1865.
Sherry, Peter, private. Sept 18, 1861;
disch. at Trenton, N. J., May 10, 1865.
Sheehan, John, private, Sept. 18, 1861.
Smith, George, recruit, Sej^t 2, 1862.
Tutenberg, Henry M., private. Sept 18,
1861.
Van Deventer, John, private. Sept 18,
1861 ; trans, to Co. C, 4th Regt.
Voorhees, John C, private, Oct 8, 1861;
disch. at Newbeme, N. C, June 23,
1862, dis.
Voorhees, John H., private, Oct 5, 1864.
FOURTEENTH REGIMENT.
Company C. — Bonnell, William, recruit.
Sept 13, 1864; must out June i8» 1865.
Culver, William, recruit, Feb. 9, 1864;
trans, to Co. H. (See Co. H).
Cheesman, Augustus, recruit. Sept 9,
1864; trans, to Co. K (see Co. K).
Christian, Hennr P., recruit, Sept. 5, 1864;
disch. at draft rendezvous, Trenton, N.
J., Oct. 2, 1864; rejected by medical
board.
Dunham, Samuel H., recruit Sept. 12,
1864; must out June 15, 1865.
Timmins, William H., recruit, Sept 12,
1864; trans, to Co. K (see Co. K).
Young, Peter R., recruit Aug. 11, 1864;
trans, to Co. I (see Co. I).
Company D. — (>>nover, James W., capt,
Aug. 15, 1862; died at Frederick City,
Md., Aug. 4, 1864, of wounds received
at Monocacy, Md., July 9, 1864.
Bookstover, Henry D., ist lieut. Co. K,
Aug. 25, 1862 ; capt., vice Conover, died ;
disch. May 22, 1865, disability.
Conine, Henry J., ist lieut, Aug. 15, 1862;
pro. capt Co. A, Nov. 21, 1863; killed
in action at Monocacy, Md., July 9, 1864.
Craig, William H., 2d lieut, Aug. 15, 1862;
1st lieu., vice Conine, promoted Nov. 21,
1863 ; capt Aug. 9, ici54 ; not mustered ;
disch. Nov. 8, 1864, on account of
wounds received at Monocacy, Md., July
9» 1864.
Fletcher, James, ist sergt, Co. I, Aug. 11,
1862; 1st lieut, vice Craig; disch. Nov.
9, 1864 ; must out June 18, 1865.
Riddle, James H., ist sergt., Aug. 13, 1862;
2d lieut, vice Craig, pro.; com. ist
lieut Aug. 9, 1864; not must; disch.
Oct. 17, 1864, dis.
Lane, Gilbert, sersrt, July 28, 1862; ist
sergt. Aug. 31, 1864; com. 2d lieut, Co.
E, June 20, 1865; not must.; must out
June 18, 1865.
Reedjjohn T., sergt., July 28, 1862; disdi.
at Trenton by order War Dept., May 3,
1865.
Winder, Jacob S., Corp., July 28, 1862;
sergt. July 10, 1863; must out June
18, 1865.
Borden, Richard, corp., Aug. 18, 1862;
sergt Dec. 7, 1863; disch. at Trenton
by order War Dept May 15, 1865.
Conk, Jackson, corp., July 28, 1862 ; serg
Aug. 31, 1864; must out Tune 18, 18 _
Emmons, John B., private, Aug. 13, 1862 ;
corp. July 10, 1863 ; disch. at U. S. A.
Gen. Hosp., Newark, May 3, 1865.
Brown, Joseph, private, July 20, 1862;
corp. March i, 1864; must out June 18,
1865.
Duncan, Robert T., corp., Aug. 11, 1862;
disch. at Trenton, N. J., by order War
Dept. May 3, 1865.
Jolees, Charles S., corp., Aug. 7, 1862;
disch. at U. S. Army (>en. Hosp., New-
ark, N. J., May 3, 1865.
Lacore, William, corp., July 28, 1862;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Hampton, Grandon, corp., July 28, 1862;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Stillwagon, William, private, July 28, 1862;
corp. Aug. 31, 1804; disch. at U. S.
Army Gen. Hosp., Newark, N. J., May
3, 1865.
Matthews, John H., private, Aug. 26, 1862 ;
corp. Aug. 31, i8i54; must out June 18,
1865.
Harvey, Cornelius, musician, July 26, 1862 ;
pro. to principal musician May i, 1863.
Anderson, William A., private. July 29,
1863 ; must out June 10, 1865.
Applegate, Asher, private, Aug. 29, 1862;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Allen, John, private, Feb. 10, 1865; trans.
to Co. D, 2d Regt; must out July 11,
1865.
Addison, William, private, July 28, 1862;
died of chronic diarrho^ at Brandy
Station, Va., Jan. 9, 1864.
Armstrong, Jacob J., private, July 30, 1862 ;
died near Petersburg, Va., Dec. 30, 1864,
of wounds received in action near that
city.
Anderson, Henry, recruit, March 10, 1864 ;
Digitized by
Google
ISO
MIDDLESEX
deserted March 20, 1864, at draft ren-
dezvous, TrentoD, N. J.
Bennett, Joset^ L., "private, Aug. 12, i86a;
must out June 18, 1865.
Bond, William R., private, July 28, i86a;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Brewer, Isaac, private, Aug. 12, 1862;
must, out June 18, 18^5.
Brown, William L., orivate, Aug. 12, 1862;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Brower, Charles A., private, July 28, 1862;
disch. June i, 1865, wounds received in
action at Cold Harbor; le^ amputated.
Bowden, Charles J., recruit, Feb. 13,
1865; trans, to Co. D, 2d Regt; must
out July II, 1865.
Brown, Nelson P., private, Aug. 20, 1862;
trans, to Vet Res. Corps Jan. i, 1865;
disch. therefrom June 29, 1865.
Brown, Matthias, recruit, March 3, 1864:
trans, to Co. E> trans, to Co. D, 2d
Regt.; must out July 11, 1865.
Barker, Robert, private, July 26, 1862;
died of chronic diarrhoea at Philadel-
phia, Pa., April 19, 1865.
Bills, William H., private, Aug. 13, 1862;
killed in action at Cold Harbor, Va.,
June I, 1864.
Brown, Peter, recruit, Feb. 25, 1864; died
at Richmond. Va., July 9. i8(^ of
wounds received in action; prisoner
of war.
Qajrton, Edward, private^ July 29, 1862;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Clayton, William, private, Aug. 7, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
Qavton, William H., private, Aug. 12,
1862 ; must out June 18, 1865.
Clayton, John V., private, July 29, 1862;
disch. at U. S. Army Gen. Hosp., New-
ark, Jan. 28, 1864, dis.
Clayton, Thomas, private, Aug. 12, 1862;
disch. at Newarl^ Aug. 19, 1865, dis.
Caffery, Charles S., private, Aug. 13,
1862; disch. at Newark, Jan. 28, 1864,
dis.
Condit, Charles, recruit. Sept 20, 1864;
trans, to Co. C; disch. at Newark by
order War Dept, May 3, 1865.
Cook, Abram N., private, Aug. 12,
1862; disch. at Newark by order War
Dept, May 3, 1865.
Cook, Andrew J., private, Aug. 12, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
Cook, Samuel, private, Aug. 12, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
Curtis, Charles H., corp., Aug. 13, 1862;
trans, to Vet Res. Corps Dec 19, 1864;
disch. therefrom June 20, 1865; corp.
Oct I, 1863.
Cottrell, Daniel G., recruit, April 4, 1865;
trans, to Co. D, 2d Regt, June 18. 1865;
trans, to Co. K.
Church, William, ist sergt, July 28, 1862;
killed in action at Monocacy, Md., July
9, 1864.
Camp, George H., private, July 28. 1862;
died of chronic diarrhoea at Brandy Sta-
tion, Va., Feb. 9, 1864.
Dow, Clinton, private, July 30, 1862; must
out June 18, 1865.
Duncan, Joseph P., private, Aug. 11, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
Dismond, William, Aug. 13, 1862; de-
serted Feb. 7, 1863, at Monocacy, Md.
Emmons, Charles W., private, July 28,
1862; must, out June 18, 1865.
Estell, Andrew J., private, Aug. 13, 1862;
died of typhoid fever at Frederick City,
Md., Dec 30, 1862.
Estell, James, private, Aug. 13, 1862;
killed in action at Cold Harbor, Va^
June I, 1864; buried there in Nat Cem.
Ford, David, private, Aug. 13, 1862 ; must.
out June 18, 1865.
Gaskin, Benjamin W., private, July 24,
1862; disch. at Newark, Dec 13, 1864,
dis.
Girard, Frederick, private, July 24. 1862;
disch. Nov. 4, 1862, to join regular
army.
Gravatt, John, private, Aug. 12, 1862;
disch. at Newark Sept 30, 1863, dis.
Gorman, William, private, Aug. 12, 1862;
killed in action at Monocacy, Md., July
a 1864.
Hagerman, Nicholas, corp., July 28, 1862;
trans, to Vet Res. Corps Jan. 15, 1864;
disch. therefrom June 2(5, 1865,
Hall, Joseph, recruit Feb. i, 1865; trans.
to Co. D, 2d Regt.
Holmes, Edward, private, Aug. 11. 1862;
disch. at U. S. Army Hosp., Baltimore,
Md., Sept 26, 1863. dis.
Hawkins, James, recruit Feb. 10, 1864;
died at Field Hospital, Winchester, Va.,
of wounds received in action at Cedar
Creek, Oct. 19. 1864.
Havens, Edward, private, Aug. 12, 1862;
died of typhoid fever at Frederick City,
Md., Dec. 20, 1862 ; buried at Antietam,
Md.
Imlay (or Emley), Thomas, private, Aug.
12, 1862; trans, as a deserter to Co. h,
1st Cav. Regt, Aug. 29, 1863,
Imlay, John, private, Aug. 12, 1862; must
out June 18, 18^.
Jamison, Isaac, private, Aug. 13, 1862.
Jones, James, recruit, Feb. 11, 1865;
trans, to Co. D, 2d Regt
Lawyer, Joseph J., private, Aug. 12, 1862;
must out June 18, 18^.
Lewis, Joseph O., private, Aug. 12, i86a ;
must out June 18, 1865.
Lewis, William H., private, Aug. 5, i86a;
died of chronic diarrhoea at Freehold,
N. J., Dec. 7, 1863.
Longstreet, Abraham, private Aug. 12,
1862; must out June 18, 1865.
Matthews. Charles T., private, July 30,
1862; must out June 18, 1865.
Digitized by
Google
WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
151
Matthews, James H., private, Aug. 13,
1862; must, out June 18, 18^.
McDermot, Charles V., private, Aug. 13,
1862; disdi. at Trenton by order War
Dept. May 15, 1865.
Matthews, Charles J., private, July 28,
1862; trans, to Vet. Res. Corps March
15, 1864; disch. therefrom June 18,
1865.
Minton, James F., private, Aug. 8, 1862;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Minton, William H., private, Aug. 26,
1862; must, out June 18, 1865.
Moore, William S., private, Aug. 13, 1862 ;
disch. at Trenton by order War Dept
May 3, 1865.
Morton, David W., private, Aug. 13, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
Morton, Nicholas P., private, Aug. 13,
1862; disch. at hosp.. West Philadel-
phia, Pa., Oct. II, 1864, dis.
Martin, Levi, private, Aug. 12, 1862; died
of pneumonia at South Amboy, Dec 11,
1863.
Patterson, Caleb, private, July 24, 1862;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Parker, Jonathan, recruit, Feb. 13, 1865;
trans, to Cb. D, 2d Regt
Pettit Richard B., private, Aug. 13, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
Pullen, Charles, private, Aug. 12, 1862;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Pullen, William H. H., private, Aug. 12,
1862; must out June 18, 1865.
Reed, Joseph, private, Aug. 12, 1862; must
out Tune 18, 1865.
Reynolds, John T., private, Aug. 13, 1862;
disch. at U. S. Army Gen. Hosp., New-
ark, May 4, 1865.
Reynolds, William P., private, Aug. 13,
1862; Corp. July 10, 1863; must, out
June 18, 1865.
Riddle, Hyers, private, Aug. 13, 1862;
trans, to U. S. navy April 10, 1864.
Runyon, Robert H., private, Aug. 11, 1862;
died of chronic diarrhoea at Washing-
ton, D. C, Sept 24, 1863.
Sherman, Gordon, private, July 24, 1862 ;
must out June 18, 1865.
Sherman, Benajah, recrurt, Aug. 24, 1863;
trans, to Co. D, 2d Regt.
Sherman, James W., private, Aug. 13,
1862; trans, to U. S. navy.
Shores, William A. N., private, Aug. 12,
1862 ; killed in action at Monocacy, Md.,
July 9. 1864 ; buried at Antietam.
Soden, Daniel P., private, Aug. 11, 1862;
killed in action at Cold Harbor, Va.,
June I, 1864.
Stimax, James, private, July 28, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
Strickland, Alexander, private, July 28,
1862 ; must out June 18, 1865.
Strickland, Joseph, sergt., July 28, 1862;
died of chronic diarrhoea Dec. 3, 1863.
Sutton, Charles, private, July 24, 1862;
trans, to Co. E, Oct. 11, 1862; must out
June 18, 1865.
Sullivan, Daniel, private, Aug. 12, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
Truax. John, private, Aug. 13, 1862; disch.
at Trenton by order War Dept May 3.
1865.
Van Dusen, Jeremiah, private, Aug. 12,
1862; died at Philadelphia, Pa., of
wounds accidentally received at Win-
chester, Va., Oct. 31, 1864.
Wagoner, Reuben H., private, Aug. 2,
i8iS2; disdi. at U. S. Army Hosp., New-
ark, May 3, 1865.
Van Kirk, Henry, corp., July 2A, 1862;
died of chronic diarrhoea at Washington,
D. C, Sept 25, 1863,
Yard, Alexander, private, Aug. 12, 1862;
trans, as a deserter to Co. L, ist Cav.,
Aug. 29, 1863. .
Yetman. Tunis, private, July 23, 1802;
trans, to Vet Res. Cbrps April 17, 1864;
disch. therefrom Sept 9> 1864.
Company E.— Bayard, Cornelius, private,
Aug. 12, 1862: died of pneumonia at
Monocacy, Md., April 12, 1863.
Bodwell, James L., capt, Aug. 25. 1862;
disch. Dec. 30, 1864; by order of War
Dept
Bloth, William, corp., Aug. 12, 1862;
sergt. April i, 1865; must out June 18,
1865.
Ehmham, John B., private, Aug. 9, i86a;
died of chronic diarrhoea at Newark,
N. J., Jan. 18, 1864.
Doll, Joseph, private, Aug. 13, 1862; corp.
Feb. 2, 1863; disch. at Trenton by order
War Department May 3, 1865.
Noe, Elmer, private, Aug. 4, 1862; killed
in action at Cold Harbor, Va., June i,
1864.
Potter, David T., private, Aug. i, 1862;
deserted April 28, 1863, at Monrovia,
Struby, Lewis B., corp., Aug. 13, 1862;
disch. at Trenton, N. J., May 3, 1865.
Turner, William F., private, July 25,
1862; trans, to navy April 19, 1864;
disch. June 14, 1865.
Yeteman, Hubbard R., musician, Aug. 20,
1862; must out June 18, 1865.
Company H.— Wanser, Jarvis, ist sergt.,
Aug. II, 1862; pro. to 2d lieut Co. F,
May 7, 1864; ist lieut vice Bailey, pro.
Aug. 9, 1864; pro. capt Co. B, Dec i,
1864; must out June 18, 1865.
Everingham, Alexander L., sergt., Aug. 5,
1862; disch. at Trenton by order War
Dept May 3, 1865.
Hutchinson, John, sergt., Aug. 12, 1862;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Provost, William D., sergt., Aug. 15, 1862; ^
killed in action at Cold Harbor, Va.,
June I, 1864.
Digitized by
Google
152
MIDDLESEX
Ingraham, William I., sergt., Aug. 5, 1862 ;
1st sergt. May 18, 1864; com. 2d lieut
June iS, 1865; not must; must out
June 18, 1865.
Fairgricvc, George B., corp., July a8, 1862 ;
disch. at hosp., Newark, N. J., May 3,
1865, by order War Dcpt
Provost, David, sergt., Aug. 12, 1862;
killed in action at Monocacy, Md, July
9. 1864.
Van Dom, John H., corp., Aug. 14, 1862;
killed in action at Cold Harbor, Va.,
June I, 1864.
Carman, Alfred, corp., Aug. 13, 1862;
killed in action at Locust Grove, Va^
Nov. 27, 1863.
Lott, Henry, private, Aug. 11, 1862; de-
serted Sept 18, 1862; returned duty
Feb. 5, 1863; disch. at Trenton, May 3,
1865.
Higgins, James P., corp., Aug. 16, 1862;
must out June 18, 1805.
Van Hise, George W^ corp., Aug. 18,
1862; trans, to Vet Kes. Corps Jan. i,
1865; disch. therefrom July 21, 1865.
Bradley, Roderick, musician^ Aug. 13,
1862; pro. to prin. musician May i,
1863.
McDonnell, John, musician, Aug. 13, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
Anderson, Henry A., private Aug. 4, 1862 ;
drowned near Frederick City, Md., July
3, 1863.
Applegate, Thomas F., private, Aug. 14,
1862; killed in action at Cedar Creek,
Va., Oct 19, 1864.
Anderson, Joseph, private, Aug. 4, 1862;
killed in action at Monocacy, Md., July
9, 1864.
Arbuthnot, Charles, private, Oct 20, 1864;
trans, to Co. H, 2d Regt
Brewer, William, private, Aug. 2, 1862;
died at rebel prison at Richmond, Va.,
March 22, 1864.
Boorman, Cornelius, private, Aug. 11,
1862 ; killed in action at Monocacy, Md.,
July 9, 1864.
Burton, Thomas A., private, Aug. 14, 1862 ;
died in rebel prison, Richmond, Va.,
April I, 1864.
Cunningham, William, private, July 29,
1862; must out June 18, 1865.
Carhart, George W., private, Aug. 9, 1862 ;
killed in action at Cold Harbor, Va.,
June I, 1864.
Camp, Gilbert M., private, Aug. 18, 1862;
disch. at Trenton, N. J., May 3, 1865,
order War Dept
Davidson, James, corp., Aug. 18, 1862;
disch. at hosp., at Newark, May 20,
1865, dis.
Erwin, Joseph W., corp., Aug. 13, 1862;
pro. hosp. steward Jan. 31, 1865.
Emhoff, Frederidc, private, July 28, 1862;
deserted Aug. 29, 1862, at Freehold,
N. J.
Emmons, James H., private, Aug. 14,
1862; Corp. June i, 1863; must out
June 18, 1^65.
Garigan, Thomas, private, July 31, 1862;
deserted Aug. 6, 1862, at Freehold, N. J.
Griggs, Van Winkle, private, Aug. 15,
1802 ; died at rebel prison, Danville, Va.,
Dec. 16, 1864.
Grover, Samuel, private, Aug. 13, 1862;
trans, to Vet Res. Corps March 15, 1864;
disch. therefrom June 26, 1865.
Hendricks, William, corp., Aug. 4, 1862;
Icilled in action at Monocacy, Md., July 9,
1864.
Hagle. Frederick, private, Aug. 16, 1862;
disch. at Trenton, N. J., May 3, 1865.
Hoagland, William, private, Aug. I5»
1804 ; killed in action at Monocacy, Md,
July 9, 1864.
Jolly, Joseph, private, Aug. 7» 1862; died
at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Alexandria,
Va., Dec 4, 1863, of wounds received
at Locust Grove, Va., Nov. 27, 1863.
Kensell, Kasimer, orivate, July 28, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
Linder, Frederick, private, Aug. 13, 1862;
must out June i^ 1865.
Lcggett, John W., corp., Aug. 14, 1862;
trans, to Vet Res. Corps Feb. i, 1865;
disch. therefrom July 24, 1865.
Little, James, private, Aug. 9, 1862 ; killed
in action at Cold Harbor, Va., June i,
1864.
Lott, William F., private, Aug. 15, 1862;
sergt. Nov. i, 1863; must, out June i8>
1865.
Logan, George, private, Aug. 16, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
McLaughlin, Patrick, private, July 25,
1862; trans, to Vet. Res. Corps June
16, 1864; disch. therefrom July 13,
1865.
Mehan, Thomas, private, Aug. 20, 1862;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Mount, David, private, Aug. 9, 1862;
disch. at hosp., Newark, N. J., May 18,
1865; dis.; corp. Dec i, 1863.
Miller. Peter, private, Aug. 4, 1862; disch.
at Trenton by order War Dept. May 3,
1865.
McDermot, Luke, private, Aug. 11, 1862;
deserted Feb. 18, 1863, at Monocacy,
Md
Newton, Thomas, private, Aug. 11, 1862;
deserted Sept 17, 1862, at Monocacy,
Md
Perrine, William, private, Aug. 18, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
Quinn. Michael H., private, Aug. 18, 1862;
disch. at Brandy Station, Va., Jan. 24,
1864, dis.
Ryan, Thomas P., sergt, July 22, 1862;
disch. at Frederick City, Md, May 15,
1865, dis.
Rue, Peter, private, Aug. 4, 1862; killed
Digitized by
Google
WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
153
in action at Locust Grove, Va., Nov.
27, 1863.
Rue, Alfred S., corp., Aug. 11, 1862;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Philadd-
phia. Pa., Feb. 8, 1865, dis.
Richards, Elias, private, Aug. 9, 1862;
deserted Aug. 18, 1862, at Freehold,
Silvers, Elwood K., private, Aug. 16,
1862; killed in action at Opequan, Va.,
Sept 19, 1864.
Smith, Thomas, private, Aug. 18, 1862,
died of typhoid fever at Brandy Station,
Va., April 2, 1864.
Sickles, Tilton, private, Aug. 11, 1862;
trans, to Vet Res. Corps Sept. 30^ 1863;
disch. therefrom Jan. 22, 1804.
Sperling, Daniel D., private, Aug. 11,
1862; must, out June 18, 1865.
Sickles, Solomon, private, Aug. 18, 1862;
disch. at hosp., Bristol, Pa., June 6,
1865, dis.
Snediker, James B., private, July 25, 1862 ;
killed in action at Cold Harbor, Va^
June I, 1864.
Snediker, Daniel P., corp., Aug. 12, 1862;
disch. at hosp., Newark, May 4, 1865,
by order War Dept
Sherman, Charles, private, Aug. 12, 1862;
disch. at Bristol, Pa., May 3, 1865.
Schultz, John, private, Aug. 13, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
Sodan, William H., private, Aug. 11, 1862;
died June 11, 1864, at Gen. Hosp..
Washington, D. C, of wounds received
at Cold Harbor, Va.
Silvers, John, corp., Aug. 12, 1862, trans.
to Vet Res. Corps; disch. therefrom
July 2^, 1865.
Stewart, John J., recruit, Oct 20, 1864;
trans, to Co. H, 2d Regt
Thomas, Charles, private, Aug. 9, 1862;
deserted Jan. i^ 1863, at Monocacy,
Md.
Van Hise, Thomas, private, Aug. 15, 1862;
killed in action at Locust Grove, Va.,
Nov. 27, 1863.
Van Pelt, Jacob, private, Aug. 18, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
Van Dusen, Robert A., corp., Aug. 14,
1862; pro. to hosp. steward Jan. 31,
1865; must out June 18, 1865.
Van Dusen, Elwood R., private, Aug. 14,
1862; Corp. June i, 1863; must out
June 18, 1865.
Williams, James R., private, Aug. 12,
1862; trans, to Vet Res. Corps Oct
17, 1864; disch. therefrom July 6, 1865.
Walters, William, private, Aug. 13, i8ife;
disch. at hosp., Newark, N. J., Dec 19,
1863, dis.
Whitlock, John, private, Aug. 16, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
Company L— Nolan, Wilson, corp., Aug.
12, 1862; private, Sept 12, 1862; de-
serted April 28, 1863; returned to duty
Feb. 8, 1865 ; must out June 18, 1865.
Davis, Henry M., corp., June 26, 1862;
deserted Aug. 30, 1862, at Freehold,
N.J.
Wilson, Cornelius V., musician, July 24,
1862; deserted June, 1863; returned
to duty Aug. 31, 1863; must, out June
18, 1865.
Weldon, Charles M., private, Aug. 11,
1862; disch. at Alexandria, Va., Nov.
7, 1864, dis.
Browning, William A., private, July 31,
1862; deserted May i, 1864, at Wash-
ington, D. C.
Bruce, Garret, private, Aug. 9, 1862;
trans, to Vet. Res. Corps Nov. 15, 1863;
disch. therefrom July i, 1865.
Bruce, Joseph, private, Aug. 0, 1862; died
at Camp Parole, Anns4>olis, Aug. 26,
1864, of wounds received in action at
Monocacy; leg amputated.
Bradford, George H., private, July 26,
1862; trans, to navy ./jPril 19, 1864.
Garrison, Almerain, private, July 24. 1862;
must, out June 27, 1865.
Hoagland, Ralph, private, Aug. 8, 1862;
trans, as a deserter to Co. H, ist Cav-
alry, Aug. 28, 1863.
Johnson, Theodore, private, Aug. 9, 1862;
deserted Sept. 2, 1862; returned to duty
Sept 29, 1863; disch. May 4, 1865, by
order of War Dept.
Payton, William, private, July 30, 1862;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Perdun, Abraham v., private, Aug. 11,
1862; killed in action at Locust Urove,
Va., Nov. 27, 1863.
Rively, George W., private, Aug. 9, 1862;
trans, to Vet. Res. Corps March 16,
1864; disch. therefrom July 7, 1865.
Rogers, Jefferson H., private, Aug. 22,
1862; killed in action at Locust Grove,
Va., Nov. 27, 1863.
States, Samuel B., private, Aug. 12, 1862;
killed in action near Petersburg, Va.,
April 2, 1865.
Smock, George S., private, Aug. 15, 1862;
Corp. Sept 14, 1802; sergt. July 9, 1864;
2d lieut. vice Fisher, disch. Jan. 21,
1865 ; must out June 27, 1865.
Stonaker, Charles S., private, Aug. 14,
1862; disch. at Trenton by order War
Dept, May 3, 1865.
Smith, Henry, private, Aug. 11, 1862;
died at hosp., Washington, D. C., June
17, 1864, of wounds received in action
at Cold Harbor.
Stroble, John, private, Aug. 11, 1862;
must out June 18, 1865.
Voorhees, Wyckoff, private, July 24, 1862;
trans, to Vet Res. Corps Jan. i, 1865;
disch. therefrom Aug. 7, 1865.
Ward, John, privat^ Aug. 31, 1862; de-
serted Sept 2, 1802; returned to duty
April 17, 1863; must out June 18, 1865.
Digitized by
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154
MIDDLESEX
Wright, John, private, July 30, 1862;
Corp. Jan. 26, 1865; must, out June 18,
1865.
Wilson, Jacob, private, Aug. 6, 1862;
killed in action at Monocacy Bridge,
Md., July 9, 1864.
Young, Peter R., private, Aug. 14, 1862;
disch. at hosp., Newark, N. J., Dec 11,
1863, dis.
Company K. — ^Janeway, Jacob J., capt,
Aug. 23, 1862; pro. to maj. Sept IQ,
1864; lieut-col. vice Hall, res. Dec. 13,
1864; brev. col. April 2, 1865.
Manning, John L., sergt, Aug. 6, 1862;
1st sergt# Nov. 12, i8<S2; ist lieut €>o.
I, Oct 8, 1864; capt vice Janeway, pro.
Dec. 13, 1864; must out Tune 18, 1865.
Fisher, John G., ist sergt, Aug. 11, 1862;
pro. sergt-maj. Nov. 10, 1862; pro. 2d
lieut Co. I, Jan. 11, 1864; com. ist licut
Co. E, June 20, 1804; not must; disch.
Aug. II, 1864 on account of wounds
received in action.
Danberry, Edgar, sergt, Aug. 6, 1862;
private June 30, 1864; disch. by order
War Department May 3, 1865.
Hoaglann, James V., sergt, July 22, 1862;
trans, to Vet. Res. Corps March 15,
1865 ; disch. therefrom July 12, 1865.
Hoagland, John V., corp., July 12, 1862;
deserted June 4, 1863, at Mount Airy,
Md.
Holden, Horatio, sergt, Aug. 11, 1862;
trans, to U. S. Signal Corps Feb. i.
1864; disch. therefrom June 19, 1865.
Kents, Naum, sergt, Aug. 11, 1864; com.
2d lieut. Co. B, June 26, 1865 ; not must ;
must out June, 1865.
Meyers, Isaac W., corp., Aug. 11, 1862;
died of scurvy at Raleigh, N. C; pris-
oner of war.
Stout George H., corp., Aug. 11, 1862;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Washing-
ton, D. C, Oct. 20, 1864, dbability.
R3mo, David, corp., July 25, 1862 ; died of
consumption at Monocacy, Md., March
21, 1863.
Terrill, John N., corp., Aug. 11, 1862;
must out June, 1865.
Siddles, Abram G., corp^ Aug. 6, 1862;
deserted March 10, 1863, at Mt Airy,
Md.
Gardiner, William G., musician, Aug. 4,
1862; must out June 18, 1865.
Buckalew, Jacob, private, Aug. 14, 1862;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Buckalew, Frederick, private. Aug. 12,
1862- must out June 18, 1865.
Boice, Uriah, private, Aug. 18, 1862 ; trans.
to Co. K, 2d Regt.
Britt, George, private, Aug. 13, 1862;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Bennett Hugh M., private, Aug. 4, 1862;
trans, to Vet. Res. Corps June 15, 1864;
discharged therefrom July 8> 1865.
Beihl, John, private, July 31, 1862; trans.
to Vet Res. Corps; disch. therefrom
July 8, 18^
Carver, Daniel, private, Aug. 15, 1862;
died of fever at Monocacy, Md, Dec 7,
1862.
Culver, Jonathan, private, Aug. 14, 1862;
disdi. at the U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., New-
ark, Aug. 12, 1864; disability.
Culver, William, recruit, Feb. 9, 1864;
died at U. S. A. Hosp., Washington, D.
C, June 26, 1864, of wounds received in
action at Cold Harbor, Va., June i.
1864.
Dixon, George T., private July 31, 1862;
deserted April 12, i8o4f at Newark,
N.J.
Disbrow, James T., private; Aug. 14, 1862;
died of diarrhoea at Andersonville, Ga.,
April 3, 1864.
Daly, Henry, recruit, June i, 1863; killed
in action at Cold Harbor, Va., June i,
1864.
Freese, George, private, Aug. 15, 1862;
disch. at Annapolis Junction, Md., May
4, 1865.
Geipel, Adam, corp., July 29, 1862; must
out June 18, 18^.
Garrigus, Jacob W., private, Aug. 13,
1862; corp. March 22, 1863; sergt
March 2, 1864; ist sergt. Nov. 20, 1864;
com. 2d lieut. Co. B, June 26, 1865 ; not
must. ; must, out June 18, 1865.
Galligan, David, private, July 29, 1862;
killed in action at Locust Grove, Va.,
Nov. 27, 1863,
Grogan, William, substitute, Aug. 30,
1864; trans, to Co. E, 7th Regt.
Hendricks, Isaac, private, Aug. 15, 1862;
disch. at Trenton, June 28, 1865.
Hatfield, William H., private, Aug. 18,
1862; must out ^une 18, 1865.
Hardy, Jacob, private, Aug. 12, 1862;
trans, to Vet Res. Corps, June 15, 1864;
disch. therefrom July 5, 1865.
Hagaman, John M., private, Aug. 11, 1862;
died of diarrhcsa at Andersonville, Ga.,
July 28, 1864; buried there.
Hoagland, Henry U, private, July 22,
1862; trans, to Co. A Oct 11, 1862;
disch. Nov. 15, 1862, to join regular
army.
Hustwait, Thomas, recruit, Feb. 22, 1864;
trans, to Co. K, 2d Regt
Irving, Edward B., recruit, Feb. 15, 1864;
trans, to Co. K, 2d Regt
Lynch, Peter, private, July 31, 1862; disch.
at Frederick City, Md., May 3, 1865,
order War Dept
Lake, Henry S., recruit, March 11, 1864;
disch. at Newark, N. J., June 18, 1865,
wounds received in action before Peters-
burg, Va.
Marsh, Vincent R., private, Aug. 15, 1862;
corp. June 28, 1863; sergt July o, 1864;
pro. 2d lieut Co. F, Oct. 11, 1864; pro.
Digitized by
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WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
155
1st lieut. Dec. i, 1864; capt vice Patter-
son, pro., Jan. 30, 1865 ; must, out June
18, 1865.
Mcssrole, Joseph, private, Aug. 4, 1862;
disdi. at U. §. A. Hosp., Newark. N. J.,
Dec 27, 1862; disability.
Outcalt, Waiiam E., private, Aug. 15,
1862; disch. at Trenton, by order War
Dept, Maya, 1865.
Patterson, Thomas A., coip., July 22,
1862; must, out June 18, 1865.
Riley, James, private, July 26, 1862;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Sylvester, John, private, Aug. 20, 1862;
disch. at Newark, Aug. 3, 1864, disa-
bility.
Schenck, William H., corp., Aug. 11, 1862;
trans, to Vet Res. Corps Jan. 19, 1864;
disch. therefrom July 14, 1865.
Sperling, Ephraim D., private, Aug. i8»
1862; Corp. July 9, 1864; sergt Nov. ao,
1864; must, out June 18, 1865.
Smith, George, private, Aug. 13, 1862; de-
serted Sept I, 1862, at Freehold, N. J.
Schurm, Nicholas, private, Aug. 12, 1862;
must, out June 18, 1865.
Stout, Luke, private, Aug. 5. 1862; died
of fever at Monocacy, Md., March 31,
1863; buried at Antietam, Md.
Schenck, Aaron P., private, Aug. i, 1862;
killed in action at Cold Harbor, Va.,
June I, 1864; buried there.
Ten Broeck, Van Rensselaer, private, Aug.
5, 1862; died of consumption at hosp.,
Newark, N. J., Dec 24, 1863.
Ten Eick, Cornelius, private, Aug. 11,
1862 ; disch. at U. S. A. Hosp., Annapo-
lis, Md., May 4, 1865.
Ten Eick, John, sergt., Aug. 11, 1862;
killed in action at Monocacy, Md., July
9. 1864.
Thomas, Henry C, private, Aug. 13,
1862; mustered out Tune 18, 1865.
Tunison, Cornelius W., Jr., private, Aug. 13,
1862; trans, to Vet Res. Corps Jan. 15,
1864; disch. therefrom June 29, 1865.
Taylor, Benjamin F., private^ Aug. 18,
1862; must, out June 18, 18^.
Van Deventer, Charles, private, Aug. 8,
1862; deserted Nov. 14, 1862, at Mon-
ocacy, Md.
Voorhees, Stephen, private, Aug. 14, 1862 ;
Corp. Feb. 10, 1864; killed in action at
Cold Harbor, Va., June i, 1864.
Van Duyn, William, private, Aug. 8, 1862 ;
died of disease at New Brunswick, N. J.,
June 12, 1863,
Wessel, James, private, Aug. 12, 1862;
killed in action at Cold Harbor, June i,
1864.
Wilmot, George, corp., Aug. 13, 1862;
must out June 18, i8(Ss.
Walters, John, private, Aug. 13, 1862; de-
serted Sept I, 1862, at Freehold, N. J.
TWENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT.
Wisewell, Moses, col.. Sept 15, 1862;
must out July 6, 1863.
Roberts, Edward A. L., lieut-col., Sept.
i^. 1862 ; cashiered Jan. 12, 1863.
Wildrick, John A., capt, Co. B, 2d Regt,
Jan. 21, 1862; lieut-col. vice Roberts,
cashiered, Feb. 11, 1863; must out July
6, 1863.
Wilson, Samuel K., Jr., maj.. Sept 15,
1862 ; must, out July 6, 1863.
Gulick, William A., adjt, Sept 15, 1862;
res. Dec 3, 1862.
Robins, Benjamin A., ist lieut, Co. F,
Sept 15, 1862; adjt vice Gulick, re-
signed, March 19, 1863.
Berdine, William, q. m.. Sept 15, 1862;
dismissed Feb. 26, 1863.
Martin, Moses, private, Co. I, Sept. 15,
1862; q. m., vice Berdine, dismissed,
March 11, 1863; must out July 6, 1863.
Newell, William D., surg., Sept 15, 1862;
must, out July 6, 1863.
Baker, Benjamin N., asst surg., Oct. 2,
1862; must, out July 6, 1863.
Berg, Joseph F., Jr., asst surg.. Sept 29,
1862; must out July 6, 1863.
Page, Christian J., chaplain, Sept. 15, 1862 ;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Non-Commissioned Staff. — Giles, John H.,
private, Co. F ; pro. to sergt-maj. Sept
22, 1862 ; must out July 6, 1863.
Ford, Charles P., private, Co. K; pro. to
q. m.-sergt Sept 22, 1862; must, out
July 6, i8(S3.
Fumess, William T., private, Co. K; pro.
to com.-sergt. Sept. 22, 1862; must.
out July 6, 1863.
Murphy, Arthur C, private, Co. I; pro.
to hosp. steward Sept. 22, 1862; must.
out July 6, 1863.
Company A. — Dobson, John, ist sergt.,
Aug. 25, 1862; 2d lieut Feb. 11, 1863;
1st lieut. vice Appleby, discharged,
March 11, 1863; must out July 6, 1063.
Lefferts, Henry D. B., sergt., Aug. 25,
1862 ; 2d lieut vice Dobson, promoted,
March 11, 1863; must out July 6, 1863.
Barcalow, J(An L., sergt, Aug. 22, 1862;
must out July 6, 1863.
Vandevender, Christopher, corp., Aug. 25,
1862 ; must out July 6, 1863.
Dobsons, George, private, Aug. 28, 1862;
corp. May 6, 1863; must out July 6,
1863.
Floyd, Charles F., musician, Aug. 27,
1862; disdi. at Trenton, N. J., Mardi
26, 1863, dis.
Cozzens, William H., corp., Aug. 27, 1862 ;
sergt. March i, 1863; must out July 6,
1863.
Appleby, William M., corp., Aug. 25, 1862;
must, out July 6, 1863.
Digitized by
Google
156
MIDDLESEX
Applegate, William, private, Aug. 2&,
1862; disch. at U. S. A. Hosp., Wash-
ington, D. C, Feb. 22. 1863, dis.
Buckelew, Frederick C^ corp., Aug. 26,
1862 ; must out July 0, 1863.
Bush, George P., private, Aug. 27, 1862;
must out with regiment July 6, 1863.
Bennett, Issac S., private, Aug. ^. 1862;
must, out with regiment July 0, 1863.
Bowne, Edmond C, private, Sept. i, i8i52;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Bloodgood. William R., private, Sept. i,
1862; disch. at Philadelphia, Pa., Feb.
5, 1863, dis.
Craven, John F., private. Sept i, 1862;
died of sunstroke at camp near Fal-
mouth, Va., May 18, 1863.
Culver, Augustus, private, Aug. 25, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
, Compton, James, private. Sept i, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Culver, Jonathan, private, Aug. 28, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Cole, George N., private, Sept. i, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Craven, James L., private. Sept i, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Conoly, John, private, Sept i, 1862;
corp. March i, 1863; must out July 0,
1863.
Dolan, Patrick, private, Aug. ^, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Emmons, Gordon, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
French, William, privat^ Aug. 28, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Gaston, Forman, private, Aug. 28, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Heardman, John, private, Aug. 27, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1803.
Hawkins, Cornelius H., private, Sept. i,
1862; must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Imly, William B., private. Sept i, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Letts, Isaac, private, Aug. 28, 1862; disch.
at U. S. A. Hosp., Newark, April 23,
1863, dis.
Letts, William, private, Aug. 28, 1862;
disch. at U. S. A. Hosp., Philadelphia,
Pa., Feb. 16, 1863, dis.
Lisk, Theodore, private. Sept i, 1862
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
McGee, John L., private. Sept i, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6. 1863.
McKeag, Thomas, private, Sept i, 1862
killed in action at Fredericksburg, De-
cember 13, 1862.
Pope, John W.j private, Aug. 27, 1862;
died of typhoid fever at hosp. 3d Div.,
2d Corps, March 12, 1863.
Perdun, Farmer, private, Aug. 27, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863,
Pearsall, Nelson, private, Aug. ^, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Perdun, Charles A., private^ Aug. 28,
1862; must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Roller, Abraham, private, Aug. 27, 1862;
deserted at Washington, D. C, Jan. 14*
1863.
Richards, Andrew, private, Sept i, 1862;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Ports-
mouth, R. L, March 19, 1863, dis.
Reynolds, Archibald, private, Sept. i,
1862; disch. at Baltimore March 8, 1863,
dis.
Snoden, Forman S., private, Atw. 2^,
1862 ; must out wtih regt July 6, 1863.
Straley, Jacob, private, Aug. 27, 1862
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Smith, Jacob S., private, Aug. 28^ 1862
must out with rej;t July 6, 1863.
Smith, George, private. Aug, ^. 1862
must, out with regt. July o| 1863.
Service, Theodore, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Smith, Charles, pnvate, Sept i, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Smith, Horatio E., private^ Sept i, 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Vandevender, Theodore, private, Aug. 25,
1862; disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp.,
Washington, D. C, Jan. 22, 1863, dis.
Ward, Israel, private, Aug. 25, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Wheeler, Samuel, private, Aug. 27, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863,
Yates, Samuel, private, Aug. 28, 1862
disch. at U. S. A. Hosp., Newark, N. J.,
March 3, 1863, dis.
Company B. — Chamberlain, Alfred, sergt.,
Aug. 26, 1862 ; must, out with regt July
6, 1863.
Davison, John J., Jr., ist sergt., Aug. 26,
1862 ; must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Standford, Jacob T., sergt, Aug. 26, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1063.
Budd, Charles G., sergt., Sept 10. 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Brown, Alfred, sergt, Aug. 26, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Barnes, William E., corp., Aug. 26. 1862;
disch. at camp near Falmoutn, Va., Dec.
24, 1862, dis.
Dutcher, George W., corp., Aug. 29, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Herron, William R., corp., Aug. 26, 1862;
died at Washington, D. C, of wounds
received in action at Fredericksburg,
Va., Dec. 13, 1862.
Ferris, Charles E., corp., Aug. 29, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Rue, Edwin, corp., Aug. 27, 1862; must
out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Shann, Peter, corp., Aug. 27, 1862; must
out with regt July 6, 1863.
Gulick, Spencer, corp., Aug. 29, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Henson, Patrick, must Sept i, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Amion, William, private, Aug. 26, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Digitized by
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WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
157
Applegate, Thomas, private, Aug. 2^^, 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863,
Applegate, Jacob S., pnvate, Aug. 27, 1862
must out with r^. July 6, i8i53.
Bennett, Martin, private, Aug. 29, 1862
must, out with re^. July 6, 1863.
Bennett, Isaac, private, Sept. i, 1862
disch. at U. S. A. Hosp., Phila., Pa.,
Feb. 5, 1863, disability.
Bergen, George D., private, Sept. i, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Brady, Alexander, private, Sept i, 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Colby, Allen F. G., private, Aug. 28^ 1862.
disch. at U. S. A. Hosp., Washington,
D. C, of wounds received in action at
Fredericksburg, Va., Dec 13, 1862; leg
amputated.
Crawford, George W., private, Sept 2,
1862 ; must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Conover, Edwin, corp., Aug. 30, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Dean, Aaron, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Davison, William V. P., corp., Aug. 29,
1862; died of diarrhoea at Washington,
D. C, Feb. 17. 1863.
Davison, George, private, Aug. 2^ 1862
must out with regt. July 6, 186.
Dey, Alfred W., corp., Sept i, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Davidson, David A., private. Sept i, 1862
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Everingham, Charles, private, Aug. 29,
1862 ; must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Erwin, William E., private, Aug. 29, 1862
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Fisher, Henry C, private,' Aug. 26, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
French, Cornelius V. N., private, Aug. 26,
1862; must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Fate, Peter, private, Aug. m 18&; must
out with regt. July 6, i8(^
Fine, John, private, Aug. 29, 1862; must
out with regt. July 6, 18^.
Forman Selah G., private, Aug. 28, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Griggs, Reuben, private, Aug. 29, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Graft John, private. Aug. 26, 1862; must.
out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Grant Brazilla, private, Sept i, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Gavitt, Ellison P., private, Aug. 26, 1862;
died at Washington, D. C, of wounds
received in action at Fredericksburg,
Dec. 13. 1862.
Glenning, Daniel F., private, Sept 5, 1862;
disch. at Fort Schuyler Harbor, N. Y.,
March 31, 1862, on account of wounds
received in action at Fredericksburg,
Dec. 13, 1862 ; arm amputated.
Hart, Noah L., private, Sept i, 1862;
disch. at Convalescent Camp, Alexan-
dria, Va., Feb. 25, 1863; disability.
Hammel, John F., private. Sept i. 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Hart, George S., private, Sept i, 1862
must, out with rej;t July 6, 1863.
Hulse, Samuel, private, Aug. 27, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Hulse, Thomas L., private, Aug. 27, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1063.
Hoffman, Solon, private. Sept 9, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Haggerty, Henry C, private, Sept. i, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1063.
Johnson, David, private. Sept i, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Jamison, Joseph J., private, Aug. 27, 1862
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Johnson, John N., private, Aug. 27, 1862
must, out with rqjt. July 6, 1863.
Jolly, Thomas, private, Atwr. 30. 1862
died at Fredericksburg, Va., Dec, 14,
1862, of wounds received in action there.
Legitt, Anthony A., private. Sept i, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Lake, William C, private, Aug. 26, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Labaw, George F., private, Aug. 26, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Linder, John, private, Aug. 26, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Larkin, Francis E., private, Aug. 26, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
McDougall, Orlando, private, Aug. 26,
1862; must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
McDougall, Robert, private, Aug. 26, 1862
must out with re^. July 6, 1863.
Moran, Patrick, private, Sept i, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Mount, William G., private, Aug. 27, 1862
must out with regt July 6. 1863.
Morse, Garret S., private. Sept i, 1862
must out with r^. July 6, 1863.
Merryott, Samuel, private, Aug. 27, 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Merryott, Peter B., private, Aug. 29. 1862
disch. at the U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Wash
insrton, D. C, Jan. ^, 1863, disability.
Mcllvain, William, private. Sept i, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Millette, William P., private, Sept i. 1862
disch. at army hosp., Washington, D. C.
Feb. 17, 1863, on account of wounds re-
ceived at Fredericksburg.
Monighan, James, private. Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Newton, William, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863,
Perrine, Charles H., private, Aug. 26,
1862 ; disch. at hosp.. West Philadelphia,
Feb. 4, 1863, disability.
Penson, Henry H., musician, Aug. 26,
1862; must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Pullen, George E., private, Aug. 28, 1862
must, out with rc^t July 6, 1863.
Rumphy, Cari, private, Aug. m 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Rhodes, William D., private, Aug. 26,
1862; must out with rep^t. July 6, 1863.
Rodgers, William H., private, Aug. 26,
Digitized by
Google
158
MIDDiLESEX
1862; died of typhoid fever near Fred-
ericksburg, Va., March 12, 1863.
Rue, Matthias A., private, Aug. 26, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Keamer, Parker B., private, Aucr. 28, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Snediker, James, private, Aug. A, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Snediker, John, private, Sept. i, 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Snediker, Forman, private, Aug. 26, 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Sedam, John L., private. Sept i, 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Silvers, Isaac, private, Aug. 28, 1862
must out with re^ July 0, 1863.
Silvers, Henr^, private, Aug. 28^ i9S2
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
S^den, Joseph, private, Aug. 30, i8(S2.
disch. at camp near Falmouth, Va.,
April 10, 1863, disability.
Sparlin, Nelson, private, Aug. 29, 1862.
disch. at U. S. A. Hosp., Washington,
D. C, March 13, 186^, on account of
wounds received in action at Frederidcs-
burg, Va.
Stultz, Lewis D., private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Slover, Stephen, private, Sept. 2, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Thompson, John, private, Auff. 26, i86«;
died near Fredericksburg^ Va., Dec. 25,
1862, of wounds received m action there.
Taylor, Eugene Z., private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Van Lieu, Edwin F.. private, Aug. 29,
1862 ; must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Vantilburg, John, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Van Arsdale, Peter P., private, Aug. 26,
1862; must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Wines, John A., private, Aug. 29, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 18^.
Company C— Calder, Henry C, ist sergt,
Aug. 30, 1862; must out July 6, 1865.
Sofield, Daniel W., sergt, Aug. 30, 1862;
must, out July &, 1865.
Hillyer, Isaac, sergt, Aug. 30, 1862 ; must
out with regt July 6, 1863.
Brokaw, Isaac C, sergt, Aug. 30, 1863
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Brantingham, Henry, sergt, Aug. 30, 1862,
killed in action at Fredericksburg, Va.,
Dec. 13. 1862.
Conway, Robert S., sergt., Sept. 2, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Leston, Joseph C, Jr., capt., Sept. 3, 1862
must out July 6, 1863.
Stelle, William H., ist lieut Sept 3, 1862
must out with rest July 6, 1863.
Conover, Samuel K., 2d lieut., Sept. 3,
1862 ; must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Gunther, Gustav, corp., Sept. 6, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Clawson, John V., Jr., corp., Aug. 30,
1862; must out with regt. July 6, 1803.
Dayton, Isaac S., corp., Aug. «>, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Munday, Thomas J., corp., Aug. 30. 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Hummer, Adam, Jr., corp., Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Stelle, George D., corp., Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1803.
Coulter, William, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
corp. April 15, 1863; must out with
regt July 6, 1863.
Drake, Henry C, musician. Sept 2, 1862;
must out July 6, 1863.
Giles, Joel, musidan, Sept 2, 1862; must
out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Hummer, Adam, Sr., wagoner, Aug. 30,
1862; must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Field, Jeremiah R., corp., Aug. 30, 1862;
killed in action at Fredericksburg, Dec.
13, 1862.
Adams, Wesley, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Baker, Samuel, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
died of typhoid fever at Newark, March
23, 1863.
Bauchman, Benjamin H., private, Aug. 30,
1862; must out with regt July 6. 1863.
Blackford, Jeremiah F., private, Aug. 30,
1862; must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Boice, Cyrus, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1803.
Boice, George D., private, Aug. 30, i852;
killed in action at Fredericksburg, Va^
Dec 13, 1862.
Brundage, Warren, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Car, Andrej private, Aug. 30, 1862 ; disch.
at Camp in field April i, 1863, dis.
Clawson, Jonathan F. R., private, Aug.
30, 1862; must out with regt July o,
1863.
Compton, Israel, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Conger, Charles, corp., Aug. 30, 1862;
disch. at camp in field Apru i, 1863, dis.
Cooper, Joseph, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863,
Corsoff, Rudolph, private, Aug. 30^ 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Cronk, Munson, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Dayton, Simon R., private^ Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Dudling, Benjamin, private, Aug. 30^ 1862 ;
must out with reg^. July 6, 1S63.
Davis, Jeremiah, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
disdi. at Philadelphia, Pa., Gen. Hosp.,
April 4, 1863, dis.
Davis, William B., private, Aug. ^, 1862;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Newark,
N. J., March 31, 1863, dis.
Drake, Calvin, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
disch. at U. S. A. Gen. Hosp., Newark,
N. J.. March 2, 1863, dis.
Dunham, Daniel V., private. Sept 4f
1862; must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Digitized by
Google
WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
159
Dunham, George A., private, Sept 4,
1862; must, out with re|[t. July 6, 18(^3.
Dunham, Samuel S., private, Sept 2,
1862; must out wiUi regt July 6, 1863.
Dunlap, James, private, Aug. m 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1803.
Drum, Jeremiah, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Dutlinger, Kasper, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
End, Felix, private, Aug. 30, 1862; must
out with regt July 6, 1863.
Fisher, Charles, private, Aug. ^, 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Freeman, James B., private, Aug. m 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1803.
Garretson, Ralph, private, Aug. 30, 1863
must, out with re^ July 6, 10^.
Giles, George F., private, Aug. 30, 1862
must out with re^t* July 6, 1803.
Giles, John V., private, Aug. m i86«:
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Giles, George, private, Aug. 30. 1862.
disch. at Washington, D. C., March 12,
1863, dis.
Gleason, Michael, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with r^. July 6, 1863.
Green, Clarendo D., pnvate. Sept 4, 1862,
killed in action at Fredericksburg, Dec
13, 1862.
Harris, Lewis, private, Aug. 30, 1BS2
must, out with regt July 6, 18^.
Henderson, William W., private, A
1862; must out with regt. Julv 6, 1863.
Lake, Philip, private, Sept. 2, 1802; must.
out with Ttgt July 6, 1863.
Lake, Georee, private. Sept 2, 1862;
disch. at Washington, D. C, Jan. 15,
1863, dis.
Lane, Aaron H., private, Aug. 30, 1862;
died of diarrhcea, Washmgton, D. C,
Dec 27, 1863.
King, Lewis, private, Aug. 30, 1862 ; must
out with regt July 6, 1863.
Martin, John, private, Auff. ^ 1862;
must, out with re^. July 0, 1863.
Matchet, Amos, private, Aug. ^, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Merrell, John, private, Aue. 30, 1862;
disch. at Falmouth, Va., Jan. i, 1863,
dis.
Langstaff, Joel F., private, Aug. 30^ 1862;
killed in action at Fredericksburg, Va.,
Dec. 13, 1862.
Merrell, William C, private, Aug. 30,
1862; died at hosp., Washington, D. C,
Jan. I, 1863, of wounds received in
action.
McCray, Martin, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
killed in action at Fredericksburg, Va.,
Dec 13, 1862.
Mundy, Phineas, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Pennington, Nathan C, private, Aug. 30,
1862; must out with regt July 6, 1863,
Rkhards, Jacob, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
rt^i^
Randolph, Joel D. F., private, Aug. 30,
1862; disch. at Newark, N. J., April 8,
1863, dis.
Robinson, Thomas, private, Aug. 30, 1862 ;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Ryno, Lewis, private, Aug. 30, 1862 ; must.
out with r^ July 6, 1863.
Ryno, Augustus, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
died of injuries at Washington, D. C,
Jan. 22, 1863.
Runyon, Peter F., private, Sept. 3, 1862;
killed in action at Fredericksburg, Va.,
Dec 13, 1862.
Shiney, George H., private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Smith, David S., private, Aug. 30, 1862;
died of typhoid fever at Washington,
D. C, Jan. 13, 1863.
Soper, Mahlon, private, Aug. 10, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Stelle, Isaac R., private, Aug. m 1862;
must out with re^ July 6, 1863.
Stelle, John N. pnvate, Aug. ^, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1803.
Straven, William, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Taylor, Gilbert B., private. Sept 15, i86a;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Ten Broeck, John, private. Sept 2, 1862;
must out with re^ July 6, 1863.
Tingley, Charles D., private, Aug. 3p,
1S62; must out with regt. July 6, 1803.
Titsworth, Calvin D., pnvate, Aug. 30,
1862; must out with regt July 6, 18^
Toupet, Charles W., private, Aug. 30,
1862; died at Washington, D. C, Jan.
I, 18^, of wounds received in action.
Van Nest, Thomas, private, Aug. 30, 1862 ;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Van Nest, William, private, Aug. 30, 1862 ;
must out with regt July 6, 1863,
Wendover, William A., private, Aug. 50,
1862; must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Wooding, Benjamin, private, Sept. 3, 1862 ;
disch. at hosp., Newark, N. J., March
4, 1863, dis.
Company D. — Dunham, William H., capt.,
Sept 4, 1862; must out July 6, 1863.
Hatheld, Augustus, ist lieut, Sept 4,
1862; must out with regt. July 6, 18(^3.
Cook, William J., 2d lieut, dismissed Feb.
26, 1863.
Voorhees, John H., ist sergt., Aug. 27,
1862; 2d lieut vice Co<^ dismissed,
Feb. 27, 1863; must out with regt July
6, 1863.
Randolph, Alexander F., corp., Aug. 27,
1862; sergt. Dec. 13, 1862; ist sergt
March i, 1863; must out with regt
July 6, 1863.
Cause, Andrew, Jr., sergt. Sept 27, 1862;
must out with r^. July 6, 1863.
Denton, Charles, sergt.. Sept 27, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Bauer, Morris, sergt.. Sept 27, i86«; must
out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Digitized by
Google
i6o
MIDDLESEX
Dunn, Isaac E., scrgt., Aug. 27, 1862
must, out with rcgt July 6, 1863.
Martin, Alexander, corp., Aug. 29, 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Bergen, Adrian W., corp., Aug. 29, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Ten Broeck, Gabriel H., corp.. Sept 3i
1862 ; must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Alcutt, Howard J., corp., Aug. 28, 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Oakey, David V., corp., Aug. 28, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Cathcart, Merrit G., corp.. Sept 2, 1862.
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Hall, Reuben, musician, Aug. 27, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Danberry, Mark, musician, Aug. 27, 1862
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Agnew, Robert E., private, Aug. 28, 1862
must, out with r^ July 6, 1863,
Applegate, Oscar, corp., Aug. 27. 1862
disch. at Convalescent Camp, Alexan-
dria, Va., Feb. 23, 1863, dis.
Baird, David S., private. Aug. 29, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Baker, Nicholas, private, Aug. », 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Ballou, Francis, private, Aug. 29, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Barton, William, private, Aug. rj, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Bass, Phineas, private, Aug. 26, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Beggs, Joseph, private, Aug. ^, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 186^.
Bergen, John, private, Aug. 29, 18& ; must.
out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Boice, Theodore, private, Aug. 29, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Bowman, Isaac L., private, Aug. 26, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Bradley, William H., private, Aug. 26,
1862; must out with r^ July 6, 1863.
Brannagan, Thomas, private, Sept 2,
1862 ; must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Buzzee, John, private, Aug. 29, 1862;
must, out with repjt. July 6, 1863.
Capes, Reuben, pnvate, Aug. 29, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Carolan, John, private, Sept 2, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Carrigan, Eiigene, private, Aug. 29, 1862;
disch. at Convalescent Camp, Alexan-
dria, Va., Feb. 19, 1863, wounds received
at Fredericksburg.
Castner, James J., private, Sept 2, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Cavilier, Isaac, private, Aug. 29, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Churchward, Geo. W., private, Aug. 29,
1862; must out with re^. July 6, 1863.
Coddington, Martin S., private, Aug. 30,
1862; must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Combs, Benjamin P., private, Aug. 29,
1862; killed in action at Fredericksburg,
Va., Dec. 13, 1862.
Cummings, George W., private, Aug. 29,
1862; died at hosp., Washington, D. U»
Jan. 14, 1863, of wounds received in ac-
tion at Fredericksburg.
Davidson, Enos A., private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with re^ July 6, 1863.
Ferote, Simeon, pnvate, Aug. ^ 1862;
must out with regpk. July 6, 1863.
Ferote, William, private, Aug. 26, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Finch, James H., private, Aug. ^, 1862;
must, out with li^. July 6, 18^
Foster, Francis, pnvate, Sept 2, i86«;
must out with xejgu July 6, 1863.
French, John, private, Sept 2, 1862;
killed in action at Fredericksburg, Dec.
13. 1862.
Ferguson, Edward, private, Aug. 29, 1862 ;
deserted Dec i, 1862, at Washington,
D. C
Gamble, William, private, Sept 2, 1862;
must out with r^. July 6, 1863.
Gerhardt, Frederick G., private, Aug. 30,
1862; disch. at Convalescent Camp,
Alexandria, Va., April 2, 1863, dis.
Grace, Hubert, private, Aug. 26, 1862;
must out with rcgt July 6, 1863.
Grogan, William, private. Sept 2, 1862;
must, out with re^t July 6, 1863.
Haggerty, James, private, Sept. 3, i86a;
must out with re^t July 6, 1863.
Hargrove, James, Aug. 29, 1862; must.
out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Haviland, Joseph T., private, Aug. 26,
1862; disch. at Falmouth, Va., Feb. 15,
1863, disability.
Hendrickson, George W., private, Aug. 29,
1862; must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Hickey, Thomas, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Holman, George, private, Aug. 30, 1862 ;
must out with regt July 6, 186.
Holcomb, Theophilus M., private, Aug. 28,
1862; died of fever at New Brunswick,
N. J., April I, 1863.
Jeffries, Joseph C, private, Sept. i, 1862;
must, out with rcgt. July 6, 1863.
Jeffries, John, private. Aug. 30, 1863;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Jones, John J., private, Sept 1, 1862; must
out with regt July 6, 1863.
Kenna, Thomas, private, Aug. 30^ 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Lally, Martin, private, Sept 2, 1862 ; must
out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Lovett Richard, private, Sept. 2, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
McLaughlin, Michael, private. Sept i,
1862; must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Meyers, John, private, Aug. ^, i86«;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Miller, Adam, private, Sept. i, 1862 ; must
out with rcgt ]\x\y 6, 18^.
Marsh, William, private, Sept 2, 1862;
killed in action at Chancellorsville, May
3, 1863.
Digitized by
Google
WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
i6i
McDavitt» Francis, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
deserted Oct. 12, 1862, at Washington,
D. C.
Mooney, William, private, Aug. 29, 1862;
must, out with r^. July 6, 1863.
Morris, Michael, private, Sept. 3, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Oakey, Blanchard, private, Aug. 26, 1862;
disch. at Washington, D. C, Feb. 12,
1863, disability.
Oliver, Francis, private, Aug. 29, 1862;
killed in action at Frederidksburg, Va.,
Dec. 13, 1862.
Peyton, John, private, Sept. 2, 1862; must.
out with regt July 6, 1863.
Quinn, Henry, private, Aug. 29, 1862;
died at Washington, D. C, Jan. 11, i86j,
of wounds received in action at Fred-
ericksburg.
Reed, John, private, Aug. 30, 1862; killed
in action at Chancellorsville, May 3,
1863.
Homage, George, private, Aug. 29, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Ross, George W., private, Aug. 29, 1862;
must out with reig^t July 6, 1863.
Sanderson, Walter E., private, Aug. 29,
1862; must out with regt. July 6, 18^.
Shand, James, private, Aug. 29, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Shellady, George W., wagoner, Sept. 8,
1862 ; disch. at Fahnouth, Va., March 3,
1863; disability.
Sldrm, James, private, Aug. 30^ 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Smith, Henry G., private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Stryker, David S., private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Suydam, Peter W., private. Sept 2, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Tallman, George H., private, Aug. 30,
1862; must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Taylor, Joseph, private, Aug. 20, iftfe;
must out with regt. July 6, 1803.
Thompson, Walter, private, Aug. 29, 1862;
deserted Sept. 19, 1862, at Freehold,
N. J.
Trout, Garret, private, Aug. 27, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Van Arsdale, James C., private, Aug. 29,
1862; must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Van Natta, Aaron, private, Sept 3, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Van Nortwick, Henry W., private, Aug.
29, 1862; must out with regt. July 6,
1863.
Van Syckel, Jacob, private, Aug. 28, 1862 ;
must out with r^. July 6, 1863.
Watson, John, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt. Juljr 6. 1863.
Wilson, Cornelius B., private, Aug. 26,
1862 killed in action at Fredericksburg,
Va., Dec ij, 1862.
Wright, Lewis, private, Aug. 31, 1862;
must out with regt. July &, 1863.
Company F. — Inslee, Isaac, Jr., capt, Sept
15, 1862; must out July 6, 1863.
Robins, Benjamin A., ist lieut» Sept I5»
1862; pro. adjt March 19, 1863; must
out with regt July 6, 1863.
Westerfield, John W., 2d lieut. Sept 15,
1862; resigned Oct. 31, 1862.
Marsh, Seymour, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
2d lieut. vice Westerfield, resigned, Feb.
II, 1863; must out with regt July 6,
1863.
Barton, John, sergt., Aug. 30, 1862; ist
sergt May i, 1803; must out with regt
July 6, 1863.
Coats, Charles, sergt.. Sept i, 1862; must
out with regt July 6, 1863.
McClarence, John S., sergt., Aug. 29, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Harrwtt, David H., sergt, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Stroud, William F., sergt, Sept 2, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Martin, Augustus, Corp., Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Grace, Thomas, corp., Sept. 2, 1862 ; must
out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Giles, David S., corp., Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Munn, Jfohn, corp., Aug. 30, 1862; must
out with re^ July 6, 1SS3.
Bloodgood, William H. H., corp., Aug. 30,
1862; must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Payne, Jeremiah F., corp., Aug. 30, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Baldwin, William R., corp.. Sept 26, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Baldwin, Alfred, corp.. Sept 3, 1863 ; must.
out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Bogart, John H., musician, Aug. 30, 1862 ;
must out with re^. July 6, 1863.
Bessler, John, musician, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Barton, Augustus, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with rc^ July 6, 1863.
Bedam, Charles, private. Sept 3, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Bergen, Charles W., Aug. 30, 1862; must
out with regt July 6, 1863.
Blair, David, private, Sept. 2, 1S62; must
out with rM:t. |uly 6, 1863.
Bloomfield, Edwin A., private, Sept 2,
1862; must out with regt Julv 6, 1863.
Bones, John, private^ Sept. i, 18&; must
out with regt. Juljr 6, 1863.
Bowman, Henry, private, Aug. 30^ 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Brobell, Ulrich, private, Aug. 30. i86«;
died at Fredericksburg, Va., Dec. I4f
1862, of wounds received the prevwus
day in action.
Bums, Christopher, private, Sept. 2, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Cahill, Dennis, private, Aug. 28, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Challhepp, John, private, Aug. ^ 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Digitized by
Google
l62
MIDDLESEX
Claus» James, private, Aug. 30, 1862; must.
out with regt. July 6, 1803.
Clayton, Asher M., private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with rc^. July 6, 1863.
Collins, Arthur, private, Aug. 26, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Connolly, Edward, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must, otlt with regt. July 6, 1863.
Conner s, Patrick, private. Sept i, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Coddington, William K., ist sergt, Sept
2, 1862; disch. at Washington, D. C.,
April 17, 1863, on account of wounds
received in action at Fredericksburg,
Va.
Cook, Henry, private. Sept 3, 1862 ; must
out with re^ July 6, 1863.
Cushing, Patrick, private, Aug. 29. 1862;
must out with nft July 6, 1863.
Cutter, Joseph, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
killed in action at Fredericksburg, Dec
13, 1862.
Dcbold, Peter, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
DeWitt, John C, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
died of measles near Falmouth, Va.,
Jan. 15, 1863.
Doty, William, private. Sept 2, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Dunning, George C, private. Sept 3, 1862 ;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Dunnigan, John, private. Sept i, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Foley, Dennis, private, Aug. 26, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Fouratt, George £., private, Aug. 26, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Freeman, John J., private. Sept 2, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Furlong, William, private, Aug. 26, 1862;
must out with r^ft, July 6, 1863.
Frazee, Henry, private, Sept 2, 1862;
disch. at hosp., Phila., Pa., Feb. 9, 1863,
dis.
Gardner, Francis, private^ Sept 3, 1862;
must, out with regt Juljr 6, 1863.
Garretson, Albert G., private, Aug. 26,
1862 ; must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Giles, John H., private, Aug. 30, 1862;
pro. to sergt-maj. Sept. 22, 1S62; must
out with regt July 6, 1863.
Gilman, Charles D., sergt, Aug. 30, 1862;
died of typhoid fever near l^lmouth,
Va., Jan. 24, 1863.
Grace, Thomas K., private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Haggerty, William, private, Sept. 3, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Hauxhurst, Richard F., private. Sept 3,
1862; must, out with r^ July 6, 1863.
Hone, Frederick, private, Aug. 30, i8iS2
must out with regt. July 6, 1803.
Jackson, John T., private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Jaques, Mortimore, private, Sept 3, i863
must out with r^ July 6, 1803.
Johnson, James H., private, Aug. 30, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Keller, Christopher, private, Aug. 26, 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Kervin, John, private, Aug. 20, 1802
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
McElhaney, William, private, Aug. 29^
1862; must out with regt July 6, TO3.
McClay, John, private, Aug. 28, 1862;
deserted Sept 25, 1862, at Freehold,
N. J. ^ «^
McGrail, Patrick, private, Aug. 28, 1862;
died at Fredericksburg, Va., Dec 15,
1862, of wounds received in action there
on the 13th.
Manning, Thomas, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
disch. at Point Lookout, Md., April 10^
1863, disability.
Mott Samuel, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
disch. at hospital. New York Harbor,
Feb. 14, 1863, wounds received in ac-
tion at Fredericksburg, Va., Dec 13,
1862.
Moffctt, George B., private. Aug. 3» 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1803.
Morris, George B., private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Mulligan, William F, private, Aug. 28^
1862; must out with regt July 6, 18^.
Munn, David C, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1803.
Oliver, Thomas A., private, Aug. 30^ 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Patterson, William H., private, Aug. 30,
1862.
Payne, Bethune D., private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Pressler, Edward, private, Aug. 28, 1862;
must, out with regt. Juljr 6, 1863.
Roxbury, Andrew J., private, Aug. 28,
1862; must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Ruddy, Robert, private. Sept 2. 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Toms, Crowell M., private, Sept 2, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Temple, Alfred S., private, Aug. 28, 1862,
deserted Sept 25, 1862, at Freehold,
N.J.
Tucker, Patrick, private, Aug. 28, 1862;
deserted Sept. 25, 1862, at Freehold,
N.J.
Valentine, Mulford D., private, Sept. 2,
1862 ; must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Webber, John, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Welsh, John, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Wright, George A., private. Sept 2, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Welsh, David G., wagoner, Sept 2, 1862,
died at Washmgton, D. C, of wounds
received at Frcderidcsburg, Vau
Young, Henry, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Young, HenrjT S., private. Sept 2, 1862;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
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WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
163
Young, Theodore, private, Sept 2, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Company K. — Storer, George, capt., Sept.
20, 1862 ; must out July 6, i8m.
Bresnahan, James, ist lieut^ Sept. 20,
1862; dismissed by order War Dept
May 15, 1863.
Conk, Thomas, 2d lieut, Sept. 20, 1862;
disch. Jan. 2, 1863.
Bolton, John T., ist sergt., Aug. 30, 1862;
2d lieut vice Conk, disch. March i,
1863.
StiUwell, Aaron, sergt, Aug. 30, 1862;
1st sei^. March i, 1863; must out with
regt. Julv 6, 1863.
Fowler, Charles S., sergt., Aug. 30, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Thorn, William, Jr., Corp., Aug. 30, 1862;
sergt. March i. 1863; must out with
regt July 6, 1803.
Thomas, David, corp., Aug. 30, 1862;
sergt. March i, 1863; must out with
regt July 6, 1863.
Van Dusen, David, corp., Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Thorn, Andrew C, corp., Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Hudnet, William, corp., Sept. 2, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Fowler, John C, corp., Aug. ^o, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Hulsehart, Peter, corp., Aug. ao, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Barber, Peter, corp., Aug.^, 1862; must.
out with regt jikly 6, 1863.
Drake, Isaac, corp., March i, 1863; must
out with regt July 6, 1863,
Thorn, Timothy S., corp.. March i, 1863;
must out with re^. July 6, 1863.
Buzzee, Aaron, musician, Aug. 29, 1862.
Laforge, John, wagoner, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Applegate, Noah, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Arose, Elisha, private, Sept. i, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Arose, Abraham, private, Aug. 30, 1862.
died of typhoid fever near Falmouth,
Va., Mardi 14, 186^
Bloodgood, Peter, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Bloodgood, Michael, private, Sept. 2, 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Bogart, Abraham, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Bolton, Thomas O., private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Bray, George W., private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with rej^t. July 6, 1863.
Brock, William, pnvate, Aug. 30, 1862
deserted Feb. 20, 1863, at Philadelphia^
Pa.
Compton, Henrv, private. Aug. 29, 1862
must out with re^ July 6, 1863.
Culver, Geor^ pnvate, Aug. ^, i8(S2
must out with r^;t July &, if*
Dayton, John D., private, Sept. 2, 1862;
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Dewan, Michael, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
deserted Jan. 14, 1863.
Disbrow, Cortlandt, private, Aug. 50,
1862; must out with regt. July 6, 1803.
Dunn, Thomas, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
missing in action at Fredericksburg, Va.,
Dec. 13, 1862; supposed dead.
Durham, John, private, Aug. 30, 1862; died
at U. S. A. Hosp., at Washington, D. C,
of wounds reed, in action at Fredericks-
burg.
Ford, Charles P., private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt. Juljr 6, 1863.
Furman, William H., private, Aug. 30,
1862 ; must out with rejft. July 6, 1863.
Fume^s, William T., private, Aug. 30,
1862; must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Githens, Joseph M., private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Gordon, Embly S., private. Sept 22, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Hagar, Abraham C, pnvate, Aug. 3c,
1862; must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Hogar, David, private, Sept 22, 1862
must, out with regt. July o, 1863.
Hansell, Cornelius, private, Aug. 30, 1862 .
deserted Jan. 14, 1863, at hosp.. New
York Harbor.
Hanzey, Charles, private, Sept. 2, 1862
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Hoagland, John H., private, Aug. 30, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Hulsehart, Cornelius, Jr., private, Sept.
2, 1862; must, out with regt July 6,
1863.
Hunt Robert, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Jackson, Robert private, Aug. 30, 1862
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
King, Robert, private, Aug. 28, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Keough, Thomas, private, Aiig. 30, 1862
deserted Sept. 23, 1862, at Camp Vred-
enburgh. Freehold, N. J.
Lester, Francis W., private. Sept 2, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Letts, George V., private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Martin, James, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with re^. July 6, 1863.
McGraw, Isaac, private, Aug. 30, 1862.
killed in action at Fredericksburg, Va.
Dec. 13, 1862.
McGrath, John, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
McNally, James, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Miller, Charles, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Mullenfels, William^ private, Aug. 30^
1862; must, out with regt July 6, 1803.
O'Brien, William, private, Aug. 30, 1862
must, out with r^. July 6, 1863.
Prink, Jacob, private, Sept. i, 1862; must
out with regt July 6, 1863
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i64
MIDDLESEX
Rightmire, William H., private, Sept 2,
1862 ; must out with regt July 6, 1863.
Rogers, Henry A., private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6. 1863.
Seward, Geonfi[e H., private, Aug. 30, 1862 ;
must out with regt. July 6, 1863.
Seward, John A., Jr., private, Aug. 30,
1862 ; must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Shaffer, Philip, private, Aug. m 1862;
must out with re^. July 6, 1863.
Smith, Charles, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
missing in action at Frederidcsburg,
Dec. 13, 1862.
Soden, James, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Stephens, Miller, private, Aug. 29, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
Stolt, John, private, Aug. m 1862; must
out with regt. July 6, 1803.
Van Nest, Jacob M.. private, Aug. 30,
1862 ; must, out witn regt July 6, 1863.
Voorhees, Peter P., private, Aug. 30, 1862;
disch. at Convalescent Camp, Alexan-
dria, Va., Feb. 17, 1863, dis.
Roberts, Jonathan R., private, Aug. 30^
1862 ; disch. for disability in camp, Vir-
ginia, Nov. 10, 1862.
Robert, Isaac, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
disch. for disability near Washington, D.
C, Jan. 3, 1863.
Passell, John V., musician, Aug. 30, 1862;
disch. at Portsmouth Grove, R. I.,
March 8, 1863, dis.
Heenan, Martin, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
disch. at Baltimore, Md., March 3, 1863,
dis.
White, Lewis A., sergt. Sept i, 1862;
disch. at Cbnvalescent Camp» Alexan-
dria, Va., June 6, 1863, dis.
Warner, Benjamin, private, Aug. 30, 1862;
must, out with regt July 6, 1863.
FIRST REGIMENT CAVALRY.
Company A. — Smith, John, private, March
II, 1864; trans, to Co. M.
Clifford, James, private.
Company B. — Page, Charles W., sergt,
Aug. 5, 1861; re-enl. Jan. 1, 1804;
killed by accident Nov. 3, 1864.
Pomeroy, Christopher F., private, Aug. 7,
1861 : disch. at Washington, D. C, May
29, 1862, dis.
Van Derveer, Arnold H., private, Aug. 31,
1861; sergt. May 5, 1862; re-enl Feb.
I, 1864; sergt May 20, i8(54; must out
July 24, 1865.
Wilson, William H., private, Aug. 26,
1861; re-enl Jan. i, 1864; sergt Jan.
15, 1864; 2d licut Co. G Jan. 30, 18(^5.
Company H. — Stewart, Alexander, ist
sergt., Aug. 22, 1861; 2d lieut Co. E
May 4, 1862; res. Dec 22, 1862; pa-
roled prisoner.
Marks, Charles W., private, Oct 4, 1862;
in hosp. at Washington May 31, 18^
Lawrence, James, Jr., sergt, Aug. 21, 1861 ;
disch. at Convalescent Camp, Alexan-
dria, Va., April 14, 1863.
Bailey, Cornelius.
Cause, Robert B., corp., Aug. 27, 1861;
sergt. June 15, 1862; pro. sergt-maj.
Feb. 4, 1863; pro. 2d lieut Co. G, Aug.
12, 1863 ; 1st lieut Co. E, March 29^ 1864;
capt vice Robins, pro. Nov. i, 1864;
must, out July 24, 18^.
Senker, Henry, private, Aug. 21. 1861 ;
corp. Aug. 22, 1861 ; trans, to Vet Res.
Corps. Aug. I, 1863; disch. therefrom
Jan. 30, 1864.
Suydam, Peter H., saddler. Sept 7. 1861 ;
pro. saddler sergt., 3d Batt, Feb. 19, 1862.
Shulthise, Jacob ; Alston, William; An-
drews, Edward; Anderson, Garret T.;
Applegate, George; Auld, James M.;
Bohn, James ; Bush, John ; Collhip, John ;
Christ Leonard; Corridan, James;
Cochran, John; Cone, Daniel; Ectil
John; Foster, John; Poller, Michael;
Gray, D. Eugene; Glenn, William;
Hunt, Jonathan ; Hart, David ; Hinckly,
Charles; Hinckle, Tliodore; Hudson,
William; Hardy, Pyatt; Jackson, Wil-
liam; Kelly, Wahcr; Kohler, John;
Labar, Henry B.; Letts, George; Letts,
John; Messroll, Jonathan; McCIellan,
James; McLaughlin, James ^ Norman,
Benjamin; Oaks, John; Oliver, John;
Plum, John ; Porter, William ; Par-
dunn, Cfharles A; Rapplesrea, William;
Reeder, George; Suydam, Stephen;
Snyder, John; Snyder, Stephen; Stev-
ens, William; Telus, Charles; Van
Note, Peter; Van Heise, Anthony;
Van Dervere, Arnold; Voorhees,
Christopher.
^^^If^a*^:^^^^^
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CHAPTER XVII.
FINALE.
In the words of the immortal Shakespeare, "Grim visaged war had
smoothed her wrinkled front," and the veterans of the grand armies of
the Republic had returned to their peaceful vocations; the banker to
attend to his financial obligations ; the lawyer to his clients ; the doctor
to his patients; the farmer to his agricultural pursuits; the mechanic
to engage in the industrial enterprises of the country.
While Grant was hammering at the gates of Richmond, the nine-
teenth presidential election was held. Lincoln, the "Great Emancipator,"
was a candidate for reelection ; associated with him was Andrew John-
son, who had been Senator from Tennessee and military governor of that
State. Johnson, while he was of southern nativity and a strong adherent
of the Democratic party, having supported Breckinridge and Lane in
i860, was, however, a pronounced Unionist. The substituting of another
candidate by the Republicans for the New Englander holding the office
of Vice-President (Hamlin) for one of southern birth, was to conciliate
the Border States, and thereby weaken the geographical lines dividing
the combatants. The Democrats placed in nomination General George
B. McClellan and George H. Pendleton. The campaign was enlivened
by torchlight processions carried on by an organization amongst the
Republicans called the "Wide Awakes," and stump orators who
harangued the crowds upon the necessity and advisability of Lin-
coln's reelection ; while their opponents dwelt on the military exploits of
their candidate, whose defeats in his attempts to capture Richmond
were not laid to the superiority of the enemy's forces, but to political
machinations at the National Capital. Though the Democratic candi-
dates received in the electoral college only twenty-one to their Repub-
lican opponents' 212 votes, New Jersey, true to her Democratic principles,
gave a majority of 7,301 for McClellan and Pendleton, of which Mid-
dlesex county contributed seven hundred. This, however, was a distinct
gain for the Republicans over the previous State election in 1862, when
Joel Parker, the Democratic candidate for governor, received a majority
of 14,597. In Middlesex county Amos Robbins, a Democrat, was elected
to the Senate, the delegation to the Assembly consisting of one Repub-
lican and two Democrats.
The assassination of President Lincoln by a fanatic, and an attempted
conspiracy against the lives of other officials, cast a shroud of mourning
throughout the land. Johnson, who succeeded to the presidency,
antagonized the Republican leaders in his favoritism to the reconstruc-
tion of the States that had been in revolt against the Union. The con-
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foo MIDDLESEX
vention of that party in 1868 nominated the strongest logical candidate
for the presidency, the conqueror of Richmond, General Ulysses S.
Grant ; his associate on the ticket was Schuyler Colfax. The Democrats
turned to the Empire State for their presidential candidate and selected
Horatio Seymour, who had been governor during two years of the Civil
War. Associated with him was Francis P. Blair, of Missouri, for Vice-
President. New Jersey was carried by the Democrats by a decreased
majority; the Middlesex majority was 365. Theodore Frelinghuysen
Randolph, a native of New Brunswick, the Democratic nominee for
governor, secured a majority of 418 in the county. One Republican and
two Democrats were elected to the Assembly. In the Third Congres-
sional District, John Taylor Bird, of Flemington, was elected to the
Forty-first Congress.
' At the time of the reelection of General Grant in 1872, there was in
New Jersey a landslide for the Republicans, they receiving a majority
of 15,200, which was the largest ever given any presidential candidate
up to that time. Every ward in the city of New Brunswick went Repub-
lican ; two of the three members of that party were elected to the Assem-
bly. The Republican electoral ticket received in Middlesex county a
majority of seven hundred. Amos Qark, Jr., of Elizabeth, a Republican,
in the Third District, was elected to the Forty-third Congress.
The Republican majority obtained in 1872 was overcome in 1876 by
the Democrats in New Jersey. With victory floating from their ban-
ner, they gave Tilden and Hendricks a plurality of 12445. This was
largely due to the reports circulated by the Democrats that Rutherford
B. Hayes, the Republican candidate, was a Sunday man and strongly
temperance, which caused many of the German residents of the State
to vote the Democratic ticket. Middlesex county not only supported the
Democratic ticket by a plurality of 570, but elected George C. Ludlow,
a resident of New Brunswick, to the Senate, and a full delegation to the
Assembly.
In the memorable State election in 1877, General George B. McQcl-
lan, the Democratic candidate for governor, had been a resident of the
State since his retirement from the army. New Brunswick gave his
Republican opponent, William E. Newell, a majority of 534; the other
districts of Middlesex county favored McOellan the second, giving a
majority of 170; the third, 210— thus reducing NeweU's majority in the
county to 154.
In the presidential election of 1880, Middlesex county was still
strongly Democratic, the first district, which consisted of New Bruns-
wick, gave a majority of 652; the second, 156; the third, 559. James H.
Van Cleef, of New Brunswick; Manning Freeman, of Metuchen, and
Stephen Martin, of South Amboy, were elected to the Assembly. George
C, Ludlow, a resident of New Brunswick, was elected governor by a
plurality of 651,
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FINALE 167
In the three succeeding presidential elections, Middlesex county
loyally supported the Democratic candidate, Grover Cleveland, a son of
New Jersey. His majority in the county in 1884 was 171, notwithstand-
ing that the Republican candidate for Assembly, John Carson, in one
of the districts received a majority of 784, and John Martin, of South
Amboy, and Edward S. Savage, of Woodbridge, on the Democratic
ticket, were elected by only fifteen majority. In 1888 the county gave
a plurality of 1,148 for Cleveland and Thurman; the Assembly delega-
tion elected consisted of two Democrats and one Republican.
The election in 1892 was a Democratic landslide, the national ticket
receiving an increased plurality. In Middlesex county, three Democratic
members of the Assembly were elected ; also, the congressional district
elected John T. Dunn, of Elizabeth, a Democrat, to the Ffty-third Con-
gress.
The State election in 1895 in New Jersey was a forerunner of the
Republican landslide that took place the following year; for the first
time in thirty years the Republicans elected their candidate for governor
by a plurality of 26,900 votes. The adherence of the western Democrats
under the leadership of William Jennings Bryan to the fallacy of free
silver with an unlimited coinage at a standard of sixteen to one, coupled
with the opposition to the McKinley tariff bill for the protection of
American industries, was to solidify the people of New Jersey and cause
the desertion of many Democrats of that State to the Republican party,
which advocated hard money and protection to the American wage
earner. Although Bryan, whose oratorical achievements at the Demo-
cratic convention in 1896 where he delivered his famous "Cross of Gold'*
speech made him the candidate of the party for President, and during
the campaign he delivered political speeches in the State, the Repub-
licans were triumphant in New Jersey, giving a plurality of 87,692 for
the McKinley and Hobart electors. To this plurality Middlesex county
contributed 3,328. For the first time in the election of members of the
Assembly, instead of voting by districts the three candidates were elected
by the entire vote of the county. Their pluralities varied from 2,650 to
2,776, and Alexander Charles Letterst, of Menlo Park ; Jacob H. Whit-
field of New Brunswick, and James Fountain, of Browntown, were the
successful candidates.
The next notable natural event that the people of Middlesex county
were called upon to take part in was the Spanish-American war. It was
on February 16, 1898, that the naval disaster at Havana, Cuba, occurred,
resulting in the sinking of the battleship ''Maine.'' Throughout the
length and breadth of the land the cry went forth, "Remember the
'Maine*.*' The country's ultimatum was handed the Spanish govern-
ment April 20, 1898, which was immediately followed by the President's
call for 125,000 volunteers. Enrollment officers were opened in the
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i68 MIDDLESEX
State and the quota of New Jersey was soon filled. Then came Dewcfs
victory at Manila Bay, and an additional call by the President for 75,000
volunteers. Middlesex county readily filled her part of the State's quota,
which was dispatched to the r^mental camps of the newly created
army. While these troops took no part in active warfare, they were
decimated by diseases contracted in the southern mobilization camps.
The destruction of the Spanish fleet and the surrender of the Spanish
army at Santiago virtually closed the war.
In the campaign of 1900, the Republican plurality in Middlesex
county was 2,156, the members of the Assembly, State senator and
governor on that ticket receiving about the same plurality. The vote
of the county in the presidential campaign in 1904 was for the Republican
electoral ticket 10,116, to 7,005 cast for the Democratic electors; the
Republican Assembly candidates were elected by about the same plu-
rality. The presidential election of 1908 was devoid of any great political
excitement, and the Republican party maintained its normal majorities.
The vote cast for the Republican electors in Middlesex county was
11,261, the Democratic electors receiving 7,941. The same plurality was
obtained for members of Congress and members of the Assembly.
In the State election two years later, the Democrats placed at the
head of their ticket for governor, Woodrow Wilson. Mr. Wilson was
not a native of the State, and though he was a graduate of Princeton
College in 1877 his career in the State did not commence until September,
1890, when he entered upon his duties as professor of jurisprudence and
political economy in Princeton University. This department of the
University was divided in 1895, when he was assigned to the chair of
jurisprudence and as the result of a large gift by Cyrus H. McCormick
of Chicago two years later he was promoted to the McCormick profes-
sorship of jurisprudence and politics. He was elected president of the
University in 1902, and resigned both that office and his professorship
immediately after his nomination for the office of governor of New Jer-
sey. The nomination of Governor Wilson by the Democrats, though it
was his first appearance in the political life of the State, was to turn the
tide of Republican supremacy. Middlesex county gave the Democratic
nominee a plurality of 1,894, and at the same time elected a Democratic
congressman in the district and three members of the Assembly.
The election of Governor Wilson by a plurality of 49,056 made him
a prominent candidate for the presidential nomination. His State pre-
sented his name at the convention held at Baltimore, Maryland, in 191 2,
and after the taking of a number of ballots he became the party's nom-
inee. The Republican party was handicapped by the organization within
its ranks of a Progressive party, each of whom nominated a candidate
for President, thereby making it a triangular fight for the election. Mid-
dlesex county divided its allegiance to the Republican party, casting the
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FINALE 169
following vote: Republican, 4»73o; Progressive, 5,050; Democratic, 8,177.
The split in the Republican ranks caused the election of a Democratic
senator and assemblyman. Four years later, when the Democratic
nominee for President was reelected, Middlesex county retained her
nominal plurality, giving the Democratic electors 11,851 votes to 9,975
cast for the Republican electors. Joseph S. Frelinghuysen, the Repub-
lican candidate for United States senator, received in the county a
majority, while Thomas J. Scully, a Democrat, was reelected to Con-
gress after a recount granted by the Supreme Court. His opponent on
the first face of the returns receiving a plurality of fourteen, the recount
gave Mr. Scully a plurality of 203. A Republican delegation was elected
to the Assembly.
The nation again made a peremptory call to arms in the spring of
191 7. The Continental War, better known as the World War, had
been raging for over two years, and had reached such a condition of
affairs that threatened the peace and happiness of the citizens of the
country, and it became evident that the United States must take her place
in the defense of the rights of humanity. Middlesex county was thus
called upon again to give of her population and wealth for the upholding
of those principles which are the foundation and soul of every republic.
To every call made upon her citizens, the responses were patriotically
and bravely met. Many of her sons made the supreme sacrifice, while
others were maimed for life; her citizens responded liberally to the
financial aid of the government. The war between the Allies and the
Central Powers is of so recent occurrence that it does not become the
part at present of local history ; in the township histories, however, will
be found a record of the Roll of Honor.
In the State election of 1919, the question of prohibition was the
paramount issue, the political parties becoming known as "wet" or
"dry." The governor elected was Edward I. Edwards, on a Democratic
"wet" platform, though the Republicans carried Middlesex county by a
plurality of 376. The Democrats, however, elected one of the members
of the Assembly, who beat the lowest candidate for that office on the
Republican ticket by two hundred plurality.
In the radical wave that swept over the political landscape in 1920,
the immediate cause in which was woman suffrage and the high cost of
living, Middlesex county was not backward in doing her part. For
member of Congress she gave the Republican candidate 23,380 votes,
while his Democratic opponent received 13,714. With this as an exam-
ple, it is needless to say that State, district and county were carried by
overwhelming pluralities for the Republican candidates.
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VIEWS ON DELAWARE AND RARITAN CANAL
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CHAPTER XVIII.
VISITORS, NATIVES AND RESIDENTS.
The bays and rivers of the Atlantic coast of New Jersey in the early part
of the eighteenth century were visited by the buccaneers that infested
the ocean. The harbor of Amboy and the Raritan river were amongst
their places of rendezvous. Famous amongst this gentry was Captain
William Kidd, a Scotchman by birth. He entered the merchant marine
service in his youth and distinguished himself as a privateersman against
the French in the West Indies. He became actively engaged against
the pirates that infested the waters near New York, out of which port
he sailed. A company was formed in England to suppress piracy, and
amongst its shareholders were King William III., the Earl of Bellemont
(afterwards governor of Massachusetts and New York), and Robert
Livingston, of New York, and other men of wealth and influence. The
'^ Adventure Galley," a ship of 287 tonnage, was purchased, and Kidd
was appointed commander. Of the booty obtained from privateering,
the King was to receive one-tenth, the balance to be divided amongst
the other shareholders. The "Adventure Galley" arrived at New York
July 4, 1696, and was well provisioned ; its crew numbered one hundred
and fifty-four. The ship sailed for Madagascar, the chief rendezvous of
the pirates who infested the India seas. A year passed, rumors reached
England that Kidd had turned pirate, and the royal shareholder and
his associates perceiving the necessity of taking action, orders were
issued to the colonial governors to arrest their erstwhile piratical partner.
In the spring of 1699, Kidd appeared in the West Indies in a vessel loaded
with treasure. Leaving this ship in the bay on the coast of Hayti, he
sailed in a sloop with forty men, his objective point being Boston, where
the Earl of Bellemont was then located as governor of Massachusetts.
On arriving off the coast of Rhode Island, he sent his legal representa-
tive to inquire how his partner would receive him. Bellemont's answer
was such that Kidd proceeded to Boston, where he was arrested, sent
to England, tried on the charge of piracy and murder, and was executed
May 24, 1721, protesting his innocence. It is an admitted fact that
his trial was grossly unfair, and that he was made a scapegoat to shield
the sins of men in higher walks of life. Bellemont received the treasure
hid by Kidd on Gardiner Island, also that which was on the sloop, which
aggregated over $70,000, but there is no evidence to show what distri-
bution he made of the plunder secured by piracy. There is little doubt
that considerable treasure was buried by Kidd on the shores of Long
Island after his return from his piratical expeditions, but that Amboy
or part of the Raritan river were favored is scarcely possible. Still, the
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residents of that section of the country have made various searches for
the hidden gold, though no attempt has resulted in obtaining the least
portion of the filthy lucre. A boulder at Perth Amboy known as "the
big rock*' was overturned, but expectations were not realized. Numerous
pits were dug in what was known as the "Cedars," and even the Episco-
pal church-yard was invaded by a digging expedition, but no financial
gains were obtained. Kidd and his buried treasures have long since been
forgotten, and the reign of the pirates along the New Jersey Atlantic
coast came to an inglorious end about 1725.
It was in the vicinity of Cranbury that the devoted and pious evan-
gelist, David Brainerd, in 1745 labored to make religious converts of
the Indians. This self-sacrificing champion of the works and teachings
of his Divine Master was at this time in the twenty-seventh year of his
age. He had been expelled in 1743 from Yale College for disobeying
orders, refusing to acknowledge his error in attending prohibited meet-
ings of those who were attached to the preaching of Whitefield and Ten-t
nent. He at that time resolved to become a missionary amongst the
Indians, and commenced his theological studies. His first labors were
amongst the Stockbridge Indians in the vicinity of Kinderhook, New
York. Here, though he was feeble in body and often ill, he lived in a
wigwam, sleeping on straw, his food being boiled com, hastypudding
and soup.
Of this itinerancy in Middlesex county we quote extracts from his
journal. It was in the afternoon of August 8, 1745. He preached to
the Indians, their number being sixty-five men, women and children.
The public discourse was from Luke xiv: 16-23; and after the sermon,
followed by personal solicitations on the part of the missionary, both
the old and the young bowed in mercy and rejoiced in Christ Jesus. The
following day another public meeting was held, the evangelist's text
being the parable of the sower, his concluding remarks were a few words
spoken from Matthew xi :2g. The shades of night were falling when the
services ended, and there was a deep agitation amongst the Indians;
some of them seemed to be in great distress to find and secure an inter-
est in the great Redeemer ; almost every one was praying and crying, and
on every side was heard Guttummau kalummeh, Guttummau kalummeh,
i. e. "Have mercy upon me, have mercy upon me I" The assiduous duties
of the young missionary caused his health to suffer, compelling him in
the summer of 1747 to leave his chosen field of work. He lingered until
the autumn of that year, being then only twenty-nine years of age, his
spirit passing from earth October 9, 1747.
It was on the heights surrounding New Brunswick that Washington's
first meeting with Hamilton took place. In the retreat of the American
army through Jersey after the disastrous battle of Long Island,
Washington's intentions were to make a stand against the enemy at New
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VISITORS, NATIVES AND RESIDENTS 173
Brunswick, but his rapidly dissolving army was not strong enough to
risk an engagement. On the Heights of New Brunswick, near the pas-
sage of the Raritan river, Hamilton, then a captain of artillery, with his
fieldpieces eflfectually checked the advance of the enemy, thus giving
Washington several hours start of the pursuing British army. From the
river bank the commander-in-chief's attention was attracted by the
courage and skill displayed by the young officer of artillery. He ordered
his aide-de-camp to ascertain who the officer was, and at the first call
to the army to bring him to headquarters. In the interview that ensued,
Washington quickly discovered in the young patriot and warrior those
qualities of head and heart that gained him renown in his after life.
General Washington during the Revolutionary War was frequently
in Middlesex county. On his journey to New York to be inaugurated the
first President of the United States, accompanied by Charles Thomson,
Colonel Humphreys, and his favorite body servant, he was a guest on
the night of April 22, 1789, at the Cross and Key Tavern in Woodbridge,
now Rahway. He was escorted to the hotel by the Woodbridge cav-
alry, under command of Captain Ichabod Potter.
The visit of the illustrious Lafayette, "the hero of two worlds," to
the United States, was a memorable event in the summer of 1824. He
was received with honor and distinction throughout the whole country,
and, during the course of his travels, celebrations, processions, dinners,
illuminations, bonfires, parties, balls, serenades and rejoicings, attended
his way from the moment he set foot on American soil until his embark-
ation to return to his native France. He visited New Brunswick, and
was there entertained by his companion in arms, General John Neilson.
At Woodbridge, on September 24, 1824, one of the special features of
his reception was the presence of sixteen little girls dressed in white,
each bearing on her bosom a letter made of marigolds which together
formed the words ''Welcome Lafayette.'*
Amongst those who attained distinction in the national and State
annals of the country, who were natives of Middlesex county, none
deserve a more prominent place in its history than James Schureman.
Born in New Brunswick in pre-revolutionary times, his youth fell upon
those days that were inflamed with great waves of indignation which
wrought momentous changes in the history of the world. On the eve
of the hostilities with the mother country, while a private in a militia
company, the captain of which was urging his command to volunteer in
the colonial army, not one responding, Schureman, stepping from the
ranks, addressed his fellow soldiers in such moving and impassioned
terms that a sudden reaction took place, the majority of his associates
immediately pledging themselves for the war. The company thus
formed gave effective services at the battle of Long Island.
Schureman was taken prisoner during the war, near Lawrence
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Brook, three mjlet Kmth of his birthplace. After being confined in a
fuardhotise in that locality he was removed to a sugar house in New
York City. By bribing the guard, he obtained the privilege of the
prison yard. One night liquor was given the sentinels, and our youthful
adventurer dug through the walls of the prison, making his escape and
joining the American army at Morristown. Schureman was a man of parts,
and his qualities included statesmanship as well as those of a soldier.
He was a member of the Continental Congress, represented his con-
gressional district in the lower house of Congress, and was for two years
a member of the Senate. He was at one time mayor of New Brunswick,
and a member of the New Jersey Assembly. He died in New Brunswick,
January 24, 1824.
The lawyer, soldier and governor, Joseph Bloomfield, was bom at
Woodbridgc, in 1755, the son of Dr. Moses Bloomfield, and a descendant
of Thomas Bloomfield, the American pioneer ancestor who settled at
Newbury, Massachusetts, in 1638. After receiving a classical educa-
tion at Deerfield, Cumberland county. New Jersey, he studied law at
Perth Amboy under Cortlandt Skinner, and entered upon practice at
Bridgton. His legal activities were speedily interrupted by the war,
and in February, 1776, he was commissioned captain of the Third New
Jersey Regiment, destined to be ordered to take part in the expedition
against Canada. The regiment having reached Albany, New York,
learned of the Continental repulse at Quebec, and was dispatched to the
Mohawk Valley to overawe the Indians. The following November it
was marched to Ticonderoga, and there Captain Bloomfield was
appointed judge advocate, ranking as major, but resigned his commis-
sion in 1778.
His political and official life dates from his resignation from the
army. In the fall of 1778 he was chosen clerk of the Assembly, and was
for several years register of the Court of Admiralty. In 1783 he became
attorney-general of the State, resigning from that office in 1792. As
presidential elector in 1792, he voted for Washington and Adams, but,
contracting a friendly acquaintance with Thomas Jefferson, he became
a prominent leader of the Democratic party. At this period, in point
of ability he has been compared with Alexander Hamilton, the great
leader of the Federalists. As a general of militia he was called into
service to take part in quelling the Whiskey Insurrection in Pennsyl-
vania. He was the first governor of the State elected on Ae Demo-
cratic (then called the Republican) ticket. In the fall of 1801 the State
Legislature was for the first time Democratic, and General Bloomfield
receiN^ thirty votes for governor against twenty cast for Richard
StvKkton. The following year the parties w»c equally divided, and
though there were attempts to compromise, all propositiotts were refused
by the Democrats, thertdbre diere was no dioice for governor and the
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VISITORS, NATIVES AND RESIDENTS 175
vice-president of the Council, John Lambert, performed the duties of
the executive office. The next year Governor Bloomfield received thirty-
three votes and Richard Stockton seventeen, and in 1804 he had thirty-
seven to his opponent's sixteen votes. Afterwards until 1812 he was
reelected without opposition.
At the breaking out of the War of 1812, President Madison commis-
sioned Governor Bloomfield a brigadier-general in the army. His bri-
gade reached Sacketts Harbor in 1813, but its commanding officer was
soon transferred to the command of a military district with headquarters
at Philadelphia, where he remained until peace was declared. The
Democrats of his district elected him to Congress in 1816, and he was
reelected in 1818. He was very appropriately placed at the head of the
committee on Revolutionary pensions, and owing to his energy and
perseverance introduced and caused to be enacted bills granting pen-
sions to Revolutionary War soldiers and their widows. Governor Bloom-
field died at Burlington, New Jersey, October 3, 1825.
Alexander Henry was a man of no common abilities. He was by no
means a mere adventurer, but possessed gjeat intellectual curiosity
and had a talent for observation. In all his wanderings in the wild
Northwest he faithfully kept a journal which even in condensed form
aggregated nearly one thousand pages. This journal, which was in
manuscript, was utilized by Dr. Eliot Coues as the basis of his "New
Lights on the Early History of the Greater Northwest,'' published in
three volumes in 1897. This noted fur trapper and trader was bom in
New Brunswick in 1739. Arriving at manhood, he joined the army of
Sir Jeflfrey Amherst, and in 1760 he took part in the expedition against
Montreal. The surrender of that important post opened a new market,
and our young adventurer was induced to engage in the fur trade. The
following year he went to Fort Mackinaw, at that time one of the prin-
cipal trading posts. Securing the friendship of a Chippewa Indian, he
was adopted as his brother, thus his life was saved in the massacre that
took place at that post June 4, 1763. Henry thereafter lived with the
Indians, wearing their dress and speaking their language. In 1764 he
went to Fort Niagara, where he commanded an Indian battalion, and
after the defeat of Pontiac he reengaged in the fur trade, extending
his travels to the Rocky Mountains. He organized with David Thomp-
son the Northwest Company, for which he acted as fur trader and busi-
ness manager, Thompson serving as official geographer and explorer.
They extended their journeys to the Pacific ocean, including the Red
River of the North, the heart of the Rocky Mountains and the Columbia
river. Henry resided at Astoria, or Fort George, and from that post
traded in all directions. He was drowned near there, May 22, 1814.
A son of Piscataway, James Manning, was born October 22, 1738.
His great-grandfather, Jeffrey Manning, was one of the earliest settlers
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176 MIDDLESEX
in Piscataway township, and on his maternal side he was descended from
the Fitz Randolphs, another pioneer family of his native town. He
graduated from the College of New Jersey in 1762, and the following
year was ordained as an evangelist and traveled throughout the colonies.
While at Newport, Rhode Island, in July, 1763, he suggested the estab-
lishment of a college to be conducted by the Baptists. He was solicited
to draw up a plan, and a rough charter was laid before the General
Assembly and was passed by that body after a warm debate, largely
through the personal influence of Mr. Manning. Having received a call
to Warren, Rhode Island, he organized a church of fifty-eight members
and became its pastor. At the second meeting of the corporation for
founding and endowing a college or university, held in September, 1765,
Mr. Manning was chosen president, and the institution became known
as the Rhode Island College. Its name was changed, however, in 1804
to Brown University, in honor of Nicholas Brown, one of its munificent
benefactors. In May, 1770, the college was removed to Providence,
Rhode Island, and President Manning, resigning his pastorate, devoted
his time to the college, filling the chair of professor of languages. Dur-
ing the Revolutionary War the college doors were closed, the students
prosecuting their studies at home. The college exercises were resumed
May 27, 1782. President Manning was a delegate to the Continental
Congress, 1785-86, and it was largely through his endeavors that Rhode
Island adopted the Federal Constitution. While at family prayers he
died of apoplexy, in Providence, Rhode Island, July 29, 179 1.
From old Middlesex county came Luther Martin, bom in New
Brunswick, February 9, 1748. He graduated from the College of New
Jersey in 1766, and studied law at Queenstown, Maryland, supporting
himself by teaching. He was admitted to the bar in 1771, and the
following year located in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he commenced
the practice of his profession. However, he finally settled in Somerset
county, Maryland, and in 1778 was appointed attorney-general of his
adopted State, and vigorously, almost rigorously, prosecuted the Tories.
He was a member of the Continental Congress in 1784-85, also of the
Constitutional Convention in 1787, and in the latter body took an active
part in opposition to the proposed constitution, finally leaving the
hall rather than sign the document. Jefferson a few years later chris-
tened him with the sobriquet "the federal bulldog." He also opposed
the ratification of the constitution by the State of Maryland, bitterly
denouncing the license allowed by that instrument to the African sla\e
trade, and declared that God viewed with an equal eye the poor African
slave and his American master. True, however, to the instincts of a
lawyer, his next public appearance was as a staunch supporter of the
constitution, when he acted as counsel for Judge Samuel Chase, impeached
before the United States Senate. This trial is memorable on account of
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VISITORS, NATIVES AND RESIDENTS 177
the excitement it produced, the ability with which it was defended, and
the nature of the defendant's acquital. Mr. Martin resigned his attor-
ney-generalship in 1805, after twenty-seven years of service, and even
then had the largest practice of any lawyer in Maryland. Two years
later he was one of the counsel for Aaron Burr, on trial for high treason
at Richmond, Virginia. He was appointed in 1814 Chief Justice of the
Court of Oyer and Terminer for the city and county of Baltimore, but
the court was abolished in 1816. In February, 1818, he was again
appointed attorney-general of Maryland, but two years later suffered a
stroke of paralysis and was thrown entirely upon the charity of his
friends. The Maryland Legislature in 1822 passed an act wholly
unparalleled in American history, requiring every lawyer in that State
to pay annually a license fee of five dollars, the money to be paid over to
trustees "for the use of Luther Martin." His abilities as a lawyer were
of the very highest order, some authorities regarding him among the
best which the country ever produced. He died at the home of Aaron
Burr, in New York City, July 10, 1826.
The first limner of whom the American annals of art makes mention,
was John Watson, who came to this country from Scotland about the
yc-ar 1715. After his first visit to America he reMirned io Europe and
brought thence many pictures which, with those of his own composition,
formed the first collection of paintings of which there is any knowledge
in this country. When he became a resident ot Amboy he was in great
poverty, but his circumstances improved from the exercise of his artistic
talents. What became of his collection of paintings is unknown ; only a
lew of his miniature sketches in India ink are extant, which are toler-
ably well executed, among them a series of drawings of himself at
different ages, original sketches of Governor Burnet, of New Jersey,
Governor Keith, of Pennsylvania, Grovemor Spotswot>d of Virginia,
Judge Bunnel and other distinguished men, show^ing that some notoriety
was enjoyed by the painter. He was unmarrit^d. His penurious habits
and love for unlawful interest gained for him the titles of miser and
usurer. He died August 22, 1768, aged 83 yeais ; his remains are interred
in the rear of St. Peter's Church at Perth Amboy.
In Perth Amboy, February 19, 1766, was bom William Dunlap, an
American painter and author. He was the onlv child of Samuel Dunlap,
a son of a merchant of Londonderry, Ireland. The elder Dunlap was
a soldier in "Wolfe's Own," and was wounded on the "Plains of Abra-
nam." After the French War, then a lieutenant in the 47th Regiment,
he was stationed at Perth Amboy, where he married, and retired from
military life and became engaged in keeping a general store. The boy-
hood of the future painter and author was passed amongst the stirring
events of the Revolution. His education was limited to a nursery school
under an Irish schoolmaster whom he stigmatizes from his own memoirs
Md-lt
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178 MIDDLESEX
as being in the usual acceptance of the word "bad/* The martial
spirit of his father was evinced in his offspring by the latter beccwn-
•iig in the early part of 1776 a member of a corps of boys, whose caps
were adorned with the motto "Liberty or Death !" and were called **The
Governor's Guards." These boys proved serviceable auxiliaries to the
American officers, by watching the sentinels and guards and reporting
any observed failing in duty or discipline. He vividly portrays in his
memoirs the pillage of the British soldiers of ihe houses of Piscataway,
and the distress of the men, women and children of that village.
Dunlap in his seventeenth year began to paint portraits, and in the
summer of 1783 executed one of Washington. The next spring he went
to London, and for several years was a pupil oi Benjamin West. After
his return to America he tried various pursuits, including painting, lit-
erary work, theatrical management, etc., but at the age of fifty-one, after
repeated failures, he became permanently a painter. He executed a series
of pictures on subjects selected by West and somewhat after his style,
which were exhibited in various parts of the United States. He was
one of the founders of the New York Academy of Design. His ''History
of the American Theatre," published in 1832, and "Arts of Design in the
United States," are standard works. He also wrote a number of plays,
a biography of Charles Brockden Brown, and a posthumous publication,
the "History of New Netherlands," in two volumes, in 1840. His death
occurred September 28, 1839.
Two noted members of the New Jersey bar, though of different eras,
natives of Middlesex county, were Joseph Warren Scott and Cortlandt
Parker. The former was born in New Brunswick, November 28, 1778,
the son of Dr. Moses Scott, already mentioned in this work. His ances-
tors were of Scotch extraction, the original American settler, John Scott,
grandfather of Joseph Warren Scott, emigrated to America at an early
date, settling in Bucks county, Pennsylvania. Prior to the Revolution,
Dr. Scott removed to New Brunswick.
Joseph Warren Scott, named for the American patriot, attended the
schools of his native town, and graduated at the age of seventeen years
from Princeton College. He at first selected the medical profession for
his future calling, but disliking his professional studies he decided to
become a clergyman ; finally, after a short course in theology, he resolved
to embrace the legal profession. He therefore became a student in the
office of General Frederick Frelinghuysen, in New Brunswick, and was
licensed as an attorney in 1801. After his admission to the bar he began
practice, from which he retired about 1840, resigning a large and lucra-
tive clientage. A profound lawyer, an able barrister and counsellor, the
only official position he held was prosecutor of the pleas for the county
of Middlesex. An accomplished gentleman, well versed in the Latin
tongue, he corresponded with his friends in that language. He was like-
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VISITORS. NATIVES AND RESIDENTS 179
wise an excellent English scholar and thoroughly acquainted with the
old poets. He died in New Brunswick, in May, 1871, having nearly
reached the great age of ninety-three years.
Cortlandt Parker was bom in the Parker Mansion in Perth Amboy,
June 27, 1818. The Parker family was early identified with Perth
Amboy. Elisha Parker, under date of April 19, 1675, was granted 182
acres in Woodbridge, on the highway leading to Piscataway. In Novem-
ber, 1694, he was appointed high sheriff of Middlesex county. He was
a member of the Provincial Assembly, also of Governor Hunter's council.
His notable characteristics were a good father, a kind master, and a
sincere Christian. He died June 30, 1717, and by the records he seems to
have been married three times, and had several children. John, a son
by Hannah Rolph, was bom November 11, 1693, and married Janet,
a daughter of Dr. John Johnstone. He was engaged in business in New
York but always resided at Perth Amboy. He held several minor offices,
but was appointed by Governor Burnet in October, 1719, one of his
council, and continued a councillor from that time until his death in
1732. James, second son, bora in 1725, was the only one that left issue.
On his becoming of age he entered the provincial military service and
embarked for the northern frontier with the rank of captain. Returning
from this campaign, he engaged in mercantile business in New York,
his transactions being principally confined to the West Indies. Captain
Parker in 175 1 took up his abode permanently at Perth Amboy, engrossed
in attending to large landed interests possessed by the family. He
became a member of Governor Franklin's council, also mayor of Perth
Amboy, and a delegate to the Provincial Congress, but did not attend its
sessions.
At the time of the Revolution, Captain Parker maintained a strict
neutrality, owing to his large landed interests. He removed his family
to a farm in Bethlehem, Hunterdon county, where they resided until
peace was declared, when they removed to New Brunswick, but later to
Perth Amboy. As he took no part in the war, his property escaped
confiscation. Captain Parker was a man of tall stature and large frame,
possessing a mind of more than ordinary strength and vigor. He died
October 4, 1797. Of his children, James, the youngest child, mentioned
elsewhere in this work, was the father of Cortlandt Parker. The latter
graduated from Rutgers College in 1836 with first honors and as valedic-
torian of his class. He studied law in the offices of Theodore Freling-
huysen and Amzi Armstrong, both of Newark, and was admitted to
the bar in September, 1839. In his political affiliations imbued with the
doctrines of Hamilton, derived from his ancestors, he advocated the
principles which became the basis of the Republican party, of which
he was one of the founders in New Jersey. In his career throughout the
changing political conditions, Mr. Parker maintained an active and
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patriotic interest, frequently addressing his fellow-citizens on questions
of the day, exercising a potent influence by his counsels, and contribut-
ing to the press many papers distinguished for dignity and solidity of
treatment and argument. Though continuously and intimately identi-
fied with politics for sixty-five years, he occupied a unique personal
position ; with a single exception of a local office, though at various times
offered National and State appointments, he repeatedly declined the
honors.
As an orator, Mr. Parker enjoyed a reputation for force, scholarship,
and the particular type of eloquence appealing to the intelligence of men,
which harmonized with the dignity and strength manifested in his public
career, his writings, and his well known individual characteristics. In
his personality he was remarkable for a physical constitution of great
vitality, nurtured throughout life by a vigorous but orderly regime,
possessed of a commanding figure and to the end of his life as erect
as in youth ; with a distinction of manners and address and a nature of
warm sensibilities and strong attachments and sympathies. He lived
at Newark, with a summer residence at Perth Amboy. His death took
place in 1907.
The American capitalist and railroad king, Cornelius Vanderbilt, in
181 7 became captain of a steamboat plying between New York and New
Brunswick, at a salary of $1,000 a year. The following year he com-
manded a larger and much better boat on the same line, and removed his
family to New Brunswick. Here his wife managed a hotel, and on
May 8, 1821, his eldest son, William H. Vanderbilt, was bom, first see-
ing the light of day amongst the pans and beds of a country hostelry.
Thus was New Brunswick introduced into the "Four Hundred" of New
York.
A pioneer in the steamboat and railroad history of Middlesex county
was James Neilson, a son of General John Neilson. His birth took place
in New Brunswick, December 3, 1784. He inherited the enterprise of
his north of Ireland ancestry with the persistence of the Holland blood
of his mother. His father being engaged in ship building, young Neilson
while only a youth of seventeen realized the importance of steam for
transportation. We find him as early as 1810 treasurer of the New
Brunswick Team Boat and Steam Boat Company. He became amongst
the active originators of a canal to connect the waters of the Delaware
river with the Raritan river. This enterprise was so hampered by the
Legislature of Pennsylvania that it was abandoned. Another charter
for a canal was obtained from the New Jersey Legislature, but a con-
solidation was effected with the parties interested in building a railroad
under the title of the Delaware & Raritan Canal and Camden & Amboy
Railroad Company. This property was afterwards leased in 1871 to
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company for 999 years.
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VISITORS, NATIVES AND RESIDENTS i8i
James Neilson continued his interests in transportation, being in
1831 treasurer of the New Brunswick Steamboat and Canal Transporta-
tion Company, which was in 1852 absorbed by the Camden & Amboy
Railroad Company. In 1835, realizing the shipping business of New
Brunswick must be eventually cut off by the canals and railroads, Mr.
Neilson, with others, incorporated the New Brunswick Manufacturing
Company. A mill was built for the manufacture of printing cloths, which
were sold after his death to the Norfolk & New Brunswick Hosiery
Company, the whole property having passed into his hands. Mr. Neilson
died at New Brunswick, February 21, 1862.
Middlesex county contributed to the gubernatorial chair of New
Jersey, Theodore Frelinghuysen Randolph, bom in New Brunswick,
June 24, 1816. He attended Rutgers Grammar School, but in 1840
removed to Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he engaged in mercantile
pursuits. Returning to New Jersey in 1852, he located in Jersey City
and became interested in mining and transportation of cosd and iron,
and was president of the Morris & Essex railroad for many years. He
was a representative in the Legislature, a State senator, and elected
governor in 1869. He was United States senator from New Jersey,
1875-81, and a member of the Democratic National Committee. He
died at Morristown, New Jersey, November 7, 1883.
Amongst those who spent their boyhood days in Middlesex county
was Zebulon Montgomery Pike. His parents were natives of Wood-
bridge, where their son spent his youth. His father was an officer in
the army of the United States, and the son having received a common
school education, acquiring also some knowledge of advanced mathe-
matics and of the French and Spanish languages, entered as a cadet in
a company under his father's command serving on the western frontiers.
He was subsequently commissioned ensign and then lieutenant in the
First United States Infantry Regiment His life was uneventful, merely
a routine of military duties, until 1805, when the government having
acquired the Louisiana Purchase, he was ordered to trace the sources of
the Mississippi river. This expedition consumed eight months, marked
with much exposure and frequent perils, but was successful. The young
commander was then ordered to undertake a second perilous journey
of hardship and exposure in exploring the interior of the Territory of
Louisiana. It was during this expedition that Captain Pike discovered
the great mountain that bears his name. When war was declared
between the United States and Great Britain, in 1812, Colonel Pike was
commanding his regiment on the northern frontier. The following year
he was made a brigadier-general and given the command of the forces
dispatched against York (now Toronto) in Canada. The American
forces landed near York April 27, 1813, and were led by General Pike
in person against the British works. It was expected at any moment
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that a flag of surrender would be raised by the enemy, when a tremen-
dous explosion of a British magazine took place, throwing a number of
stones with great force in every direction, one of which struck General
Pike on the breast, inflicting a mortal wound. The American troops
soon reformed, and passing their wounded commander were hailed by
the words, "Push on, brave fellows, and avenge your general." While
General Pike was being carried from the field, the British struck their
colors. The brave general, when informed of the surrender, heaved a
heavy sigh and smiled, but he lingered only a few hours, his death taking
place on the commodore's ship.
Another distinguished citizen of New Jersey who roamed the streets
and lanes of New Brunswick in his youthful days was Jonathan Dixon,
for thirty-one years a justice of the Supreme Court of his residential
State. Bom in Liverpool, England, July 6, 1839, his father, Jonathan
Dixon, in 1848 came to America and was followed two years later by his
family, settling in New Brunswick. Here young Dixon attended Rutgers
College, graduated in 1859, ^^^^ ^P ^^^ study of law, and on his admis-
sion to the bar removed to Jersey City. He was appointed to the
Supreme Court in 1875, ^ position he honorably filled until his death at
Englewood, New Jersey, May 21, 1906.
For twenty-one years New Brunswick was the residence of the chief
of the Supreme Court of the State — ^Andrew Kirkpatrick. He was
descended from an honorable and noteworthy Scottish lineage, the sec-
ond son of David Kirkpatrick, the American progenitor of the family.
The future chief justice was bom at Mine Brook, New Jersey, February
17, 1756, and in 1775 graduated from the College of New Jersey, now
Princeton University. His father, who was an ardent Presbyterian,
wished him to become a minister, and after his graduation he studied
divinity, but his preference was in the direction of the law, and finally
he became a student in the office of William Paterson, of New Bruns-
wick. He was admitted to the New Jersey bar in 1785, and for a short
time practiced in Morristown, but losing his library and office equipment
by fire, he returned to New Brunswick, where he became noted for his
great native ability, untiring industry, and stern integrity. In January,
1798, he entered upon the office of Associate Justice of the Supreme
Court, which he held for six years, when he became Chief Justice of that
court till 1825. His decisions were marked by extensive learning, great
acumen, and power of logical analysis ; and his strictly logical mind and
great personal dignity, coupled with his other qualities, made him one
of the great historical characters of the New Jersey bench. Among his
many excellent qualities, he was especially esteemed and admired for
his keen sense of justice, his consideration and loyalty. He died in New
Brunswick in 183 1.
The twenty-eighth governor of New Jersey, George C. Ludlow, was
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VISITORS, NATIVES AND RESIDENTS 183
bom in Milford, Hunterdon county, New Jersey, April 6, 1830. He
entered Rutgers College at the age of sixteen, graduating in the class of
1850, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1853, and engaged in prac-
tice at New Brunswick. He soon won the confidence and esteem of all who
came in contact with him, by his undoubted integrity and devotion to
the interests of his clients. An intense Democrat, he took a conspicuous
part in politics, but never held office until 1876, when he was elected to
the State Senate. Declining a renomination, he became in 1880 the
Democratic nominee for the governorship, was elected that year, and
came into office January 18, 1881, his term expiring January 21, 1884. He
died December 18, 1900.
Woodbridge Strong, a son of Professor Theodore Strong, was bom
in Clinton, Oneida county. New York, February 21, 1827, his father at
that time being professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at Ham-
ilton College. Soon after his birth, his father became a member of the
faculty of Rutgers College, occupying the same chair, and was one of
the most distinguished mathematicians in the country. Young Strong
entered Rutgers College in 1847, also commenced the study of law with
John Van Dyke, of New Brunswick, afterwards a justice of the Supreme
Court. During the gold fever of 1849 he went to California, but retumed
to New Jersey, where he resumed his studies and was admitted to the
bar in 1852. He was judge of the Middlesex County Court of Common
Pleas from 1874 to 1879, and again from 1896 to 1906.
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Kl'TGERS COLLEGE
I^ORD DORMITORY— ENGINEERING BUILpiNC;
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CHAPTER XIX.
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
RUTGERS COLLEGE.
Rutgers College, originally called Queen's College in honor of Queen
Charlotte, was founded by royal charter November lo, 1766, twenty
years after the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University, had
been founded on the one side, and twelve years after King's College, now
Columbia University, had been founded on the other side. The Dutch
people, members of the Reformed Church from the Netherlands, were
not quite willing to devote their zeal for learning and their pride of
institutions to either existing college. The movement for a foundation
of their own had begun early in the century with the Rev. Theodorus
Jacobus Frelinghuysen ; it was substantially fostered by his son, the
Rev. Theodorus Frelinghuysen; and it came to accomplishment espe-
cially through the efforts of the Rev. Jacobus Rutsen Hardenbergh, the
Rev. Johannes Leydt, and the elder, Hendrick Fisher. The college
apparently did not begin work at once, nor was its location at once
determined, nor is there extant any copy of the charter of 1766. In
1770, March 20, the second charter was granted, differing in only slight
degree from the first. It was granted by George III. through William
Franklin, Governor of the Province of New Jersey. A copy of this
charter of 1770, printed in the very year of its granting, is in possession
of the college. It is very full and explicit in its provisions. It was so
wisely and liberally drawn that very few and slight amendments have
seemed necessary or desirable in the one hundred and fifty years since.
The occasion of its granting is stated to be a petition from the ministers
and elders of the Dutch Reformed churches presented to William Frank-
lin, Esq., Governor of the Province of New Jersey, and expressing the
need of the churches for an educated ministry and the need of an institu-
tion at home to provide the appropriate education. The charter, there-
fore grants "that there be a College, called Queen's College, erected in
our said Province of New Jersey, for the education of youth in the
learned languages, liberal and useful arts and sciences." The words thus
expressing the original purpose of the College are so broad and far-
reaching that, unchanged, they cover the ideals and activities of the
twentieth century college. The charter creates a corporate body of
forty-one members, twelve of whom shall be a quorum, and makes such
board of trustees self-perpetuating, all its members to be elected by the
board itself, except the Governor, Chief- Justice and Attorney-General of
the Province (later the State) of New Jersey, who shall always be
members ex-officio. The charter appoints by name the original thirty-
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eight other trustees. The Governor, it is provided, shall be president
at meetings of the trustees if he is in attendance. Ample powers are
given by this admirable charter for all appropriate management of mat-
ters of property and instruction, for granting of degrees, and use of the
college seal.
In 1781 certain amendments to the charter were ordained by the
Legislature of New Jersey. For one thing, an oath of allegiance to the
government of New Jersey was substituted for the original oath of alle-
giance to the crown. For another thing, an original provision restricting
the number of ordained ministers among the trustees to one-third of the
whole number was repealed. In 1799, by act of the Legislature of New
Jersey, the act of 1781 was repealed, but its provisions in eflfect were
reenacted, together with further amendment that oath to support the
Constitution of the United States be required of each trustee on his
taking office. In 1825, by act of November 30, the charter was amended
by the substitution of the name "Rutgers College" for "Queen's College,"
and the corporate title was ordained to be "The Trustees of Rutgers
College in New Jersey." In 1859 the charter received, by act of the
Legislature, a further amendment, providing a more liberal property-
holding right than that originally conferred. More recent general laws
of the State have made such right entirely unlimited. In 1920 an
amendment was adopted removing from the charter any aspect of it
which might be regarded as sectarian.
The motto of the College is not contained in the charter. It was
adopted at a very early time, however, having been suggested, no doubt,
by the Rev. John H. Livingston, who returned from the University of
Utrecht in 1770 and became at once a leader in church and college affairs.
"Sol Justitiae lUustra Nos*' is the motto of the University of Utrecht.
The motto of Rutgers (Queen's) College was made "Sol Justitiae et
Occidentem Illustra'*
1770-1825 — ^The trustees created by the charter, in session at Hacken-
sack. May 17, 1771, decided to locate the College at New Brunswick.
Hackensack desired the College, and was strongly advocated as the
place for it. New Brunswick was chosen apparently because of a some-
what larger subscription obtained there, and because of its greater con-
venience to an expected constituency among the German churches in
Pennsylvania.
College work, it seems, was actually begun in November, 1771, under
Frederick Frelinghuysen, a graduate of Princeton, Class of 1770. Soon
associated with him and succeeding him was John Taylor. They were
called tutors. Both became colonels in the American army, both were
trusted counselors of the American leaders, and yet both held steadfast
relation to the College during the troubled years of war. While they
were absent in the field or in council, late in the decade, John Bogart,
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RUTGERS COLLEGE 187
an earlier graduate of Queen's, maintained the work of instruction. At
times the work, driven from New Bnmswick by the British occupation,
was located at Hillsborough, now Millstone, or at North Branch, now
Readington. The students were drilled as a military company, that
they might be ready for active service, if called. Probably Dr. Harden-
bergh presided in some measure, from the first, over the destinies of the
infant College, as he had been forward in its organizing, for the diploma
of Simeon De Witt, Class of 1776, bears his name as president.
For more than fifty years the College had little growth, and at times
its doors were closed. Yet notable men presided over it and taught in it,
and men of later distinction were graduated from it during the period.
Dr. Hardenbergh's informal and formal service as president continued
until 1790; after him the Rev. William Linn, D. D., was acting president
until 1794, and from 1794 to 1810 the Rev. Ira Condict, D. D., served in
the same way. Then came the presiding in full office of Dr. John H.
Livingston, from 1810 to 1825. A distinguished professor of the early
part of the nineteenth century was Robert Adrain, LL. D., the great
mathematician. Before the eighteenth century had closed, among the
g^duates were Peter Kimble, President of the Council of New Jersey ;
James Schureman, United States Senator; Simeon De Witt, Chief
Geographer of the American Army, Surveyor-General and Chancellor of
the State of New York ; Jeremiah Smith, member of Congress, Governor
of New Hampshire, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New
Hampshire ; Pierre Van Cortlandt, member of Congress ; Samuel Kenne-
day Jennings, President of Washington College; John Frelinghuysen,
Brigadier-General ; and many clergymen of the Reformed Dutch Church
and other denominations. In the early part of the nineteenth century
some of the distinguished graduates were Jacob Green, Professor at
Princeton; Edward Mundy, successr/ely Lieutenant-Governor, Attor-
ney-General, and Justice of the Supreme Court of Michigan ; Charles C.
Stratton, Governor of New Jersey; Robert B. Croes, D. D., of the
Protestant Episcopal Church, and Samuel Judah, Speaker of the House
of Representatives of Indiana, and United States District Attorney.
1825-1850— The name of the College was changed by the trustees
from Queen's to Rutgers in 1825, in honor of Colonel Henry Rutgers,
"as a mark of their respect for his character and in gratitude for his
numerous services rendered the Reformed Church." Colonel Rutgers
was a resident of New York City, the first president of the Board of
Direction of the Church, and a foremost supporter of all good causes.
After the College received his name he followed earlier donations to it
with a gift of $5,000. In the same year (1825) the Rev. Philip Milledoler,
D. D., became president ; he served until 1840, when the Honorable A.
Bruyn Hasbrouck, LL. D., succeeded him, to serve until 1850. From
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the beginning of this period until the present day Rutgers has never
closed its doors. During the period, the second quarter of the nineteenth
century, the College naturally had more vigorous growth, gained a
larger faculty, added buildings and graduated increased classes. Perhaps
most famous among the professors were Theodore Strong, LL. D., the
great mathematician, and Alexander McClelland, D. D., the great
teacher of languages. The life and service of a college are largely
defined by the men it trains, and the list of graduates of this time deserves
more rehearsing than space permits. Near the mid-point is the cele-
brated class of 1836, including Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, United
States Senator and Secretary of State; Joseph P. Bradley, Justice of
the Supreme Court of the United States; William A. Newell, member
of Congress, Governor of New Jersey, and Governor of Washington;
Henry Waldron, member of Congress; Cortlandt Parker, president of
the American Bar Association; George W. Coakley, Professor in the
University of New York, and Alexander Brown, the banker. In other
classes we find Peter Vredenburgh, Justice of the Supreme Court of
New Jersey ; John Romeyn Brodhead, the historian ; George W. Brown,
Chief Justice of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore; Robert H. Pruyn,
United States Minister to Japan; Theodoric R. Westbrook, Justice of
the Supreme Court of New York ; Garnet B. Adrain, John W. Ferdon,
William S. Kenyon and Augustus A. Hardenbergh, members of Con-
gress ; Charles H. Van Wyck, United States Senator ; George H. Sharpe,
Major-General, U. S. A., and Surveyor of Customs, Port of New York,
and Henry R. Baldwin, physician. Well known ministers of denomina-
tions other than the Reformed Church are in the list in no small num-
ber, such as Hugh Hamill, for thirty-six years principal of Lawrence-
ville School, and Eugene A. Hoffman, dean of the General Theological
Seminary of the Episcopal Church, New York City. Especially note-
worthy is the roll of graduates of this time entering the ministry of
the Reformed Church — ^pastors, missionaries, professors. It is a long
list; a few names, of most recent memory, perhaps, suggest the part
that Rutgers has played in the service and leadership of the "Dutch
Church": John Forsyth, Professor at Princeton and Rutgers, Professor
and Chaplain at West Point; Talbot W. Chambers, of the Collegiate
Church ; David D. Demarest and John De Witt, of the New Brunswick
Seminary; William H. Steele, James A. H. Cornell and Cornelius E.
Crispell ; William J. R. Taylor and Abraham R. Van Nest, David Cole,
Goyn and John V. N. Talmadge, Paul D. Van Cleef, Charles Scott,
president of Hope College ; John L. See and J. Romeyn Berry, Ezra W.
and Joseph Collier, Samuel D. and Joseph Scudder, T. Romeyn Beck,
John Gaston and William H. Ten Eyck. One, the Rev. John F. Mesick,
D. D., LL. D., of the class of 1834, died in 191 5, at the age of 102, having
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RUTGERS COLLEGE 189
been for some years the oldest living graduate of any college or uni-
versity.
1850-1875— In 1850 the Hon. Theodore Frelinghuysen, LL. D.,
became president. He was distinguished in the life not only of College,
but also of Church and State. He was president of the American Bible
Society and he was candidate for Vice-President of the United States
with Henry Clay, candidate for President. He served until 1863, and
was succeeded by William H. Campbell, D. D., LL. D., who was called
from professorship in the Theological Seminary and who served the
longest term of any president of the College thus far, nearly twenty
years, retiring in 1882. During the third quarter of the nineteenth cen-
tury there was still marked progress in the College life and usefulness.
It was natural that at this time, as even more in recent years,
the study of science should have peculiar advancement and claim a place
nearer to that always accorded the classics. The leader in this scientific
development, and at the same time a great friend of the classics, was
George H. Cook, Ph. D., LL. D., who was professor from 1853 until his
death in 1889, and vice-president of the College from 1864, and who as a
man and scientist rendered incalculable service to the State of New Jersey.
The marked event in the College history in this connection is
the organizing of the Scientific School and the declaring of the Trustees
of Rutgers College, maintaining such school, to be the State College for
the Benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts. This action of
the State was based upon the so-called Morrill act of the Congress of
the United States, 1862. Perhaps it did not seem at the time or for
some years after to be of very great importance to the College. But as
the years have passed, and the national and State emphasis has increased,
the relation has proved to be a vital and most valuable one, greatly
increasing the College's power and field of usefulness, as like relation
has been vastly fruitful in every other State of the Union. A Board of
Visitors was created, its members to be appointed by the Governor
of the State. Among the professors of the time were Dr. Howard Crosby,
Dr. David Murray and DeWitt T. Reiley; also Drs. T. Sandford
Doolittle and Jacob Cooper, and Edward A. Bowser, whose service
extended far beyond the period. More buildings were erected, and the
line of graduates was unbroken. There can be only most moderate
suggestion of the men who were sent forth: Judge Richard L. Larre-
more, Governor George C. Ludlow, Judge Henry W. Bookstaver, Justice
Jonathan Dixon, Justice Abram Q. Garretson, Vice-President Garret A.
Hobart, various Congressmen, various officers in the Federal army;
Edward G. Janeway, the foremost physician of his time; Edward A:
Bowser, the mathematician; Alexander Johnston, professor at Prince-
ton ; many ministers, among them Rev. Drs. Joachim Elmendorf , Charles
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190 MIDDLESEX
I. Shepard, Edward P. Terhune, William Irvin and John B. Thompson;
Edward W. and Samuel E. Appleton, of the Episcopal Church ; Cornelius
L. Wells, William R. Duryee, Silas D. and John Scudder, John B.
Drury, Egbert Winter, Charles W. Fritts, Francis A. Horton, Charles
H. Pool, Judges G. D. W. Vroom, William H. Vrendenburg, and Wil-
lard P. Voorhees ; George William Hill, foremost scholar of his genera-
tion in astronomical mathematics. A large proportion of the graduates
of the time are, of course, living, among them Albert S. Cook, head of
the Department of English at Yale University ; Ichizo Hattori, Governor
of Hiogo Ken, Japan, and vice-president of the University of Tokio;
John C. Smock, the geologist; Dr. J. Preston Searle, dean of the New
Brunswick Seminary ; and Dr. Graham Taylor, of the Chicago Seminary,
besides the many in the pastorate and missionary service of our own and
other churches. A remarkable number are in the very successful prac-
tice of other professions and in most important legal, commercial and
banking relations.
1875-1900 — ^As the last quarter of th6 nineteenth century began,
Dr. Campbell was still serving as president. At his retiring in 1882,
Merrill E. Gates, Ph. D., LL. D., succeeded him and served until 1890.
In 1891 Austin Scott, Ph. D., LL. D., became president, and his service
in the office continued until 1906. Steady growth marked the period,
a developing of the corps of instruction and of the students in attend-
ance.
A marked feature of the time was the new emphasis by College, State
and Nation on the State relation to the College. The national govern-
ment entered upon a much larger and more generous scheme of educa-
tional work through such State institutions. Great State universities
and colleges were springing up, and the State of New Jersey entered
into new and enlarged cooperation with its College. The College itself
seemed to come to new and clearer and higher conception of the duty
and opportunity given it by the relation existing. Among the professors
there were: Dr. Cook, until his death in 1889; ^- Doolittle, until his
death in 1893; Dr. Cooper, whose service continued into the twentieth
century, until his death in 1904; Dr. Bowser, whose active service also
continued until 1904, and emeritus relation until his recent death; Dr.
Carl Meyer, from 1869, until his death in 1901 ; Francis A. Wilber, from
1879, until his death in 1891 ; Dr. George W. Atherton, whose service
was from 1869 to 1882, and Dr. Peter T. Austen, from 1877 to 1890. The
graduates of this period are to-day widely scattered in the various pro-
fessions and industries of our own and other lands. Naturally, out of
the increased study of science, characteristic of the time and of colleges
and universities in general, the number of those in scientific and indus-
trial vocations has especially increased. While, therefore, we find
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RUTGERS COLLEGE 191
among the graduates of these recent years men in political life like
Foster M. Voorhees, some time Governor of New Jersey, and M. Linn
Bruce, some time Lieutenant-Governor and later Justice of the Supreme
Court of New York, and men in the ministry such as Rev. Drs. Paul F.
Sutphen, of Cleveland; William R. Taylor, of Rochester; William P.
Merrill and Henry E. Cobb, of New York; William I. Chamberlain, of
New Brunswick, and Professors John H. Gillespie and John H. Raven,
of the New Brunswick Seminary, and a host of our pastors and mis-
sionaries, and physicians and lawyers in distinguished practice, the
leaders of great enterprises in the scientific and business world are
conspicuous, as Leonor F. Loree, president of the Delaware & Hudson
Company, and Charles L. Edgar, president of the Edison and other light-
ing companies of Boston. Men in educational work also are in emphatic
evidence, as the late Egbert LeFevre, LL. D., dean of the Medical
School of New York University; the late Edward B. Voorhees, D. Sc.,
director of New Jersey Experimental Stations ; John E. Hill, C. E., pro-
fessor of Civil Engineering in Brown University ; J. Livingston R. Mor-
gan, Ph. D., professor of Physical Chemistry in Columbia University;
Frank R. Van Horn, Ph. D., professor of Geology in Case School of
Applied Science, and many others.
1900-1920 — In the twentieth century thus far, Rutgers has had great
advancement Dr. Scott continued as president until 1906, though on
leave of absence during 1905-6, and the Rev. W. H. S. Demarest, D. D.,
LL. D., called from professorship in the New Brunswick Seminary, has
been president since 1906, the first graduate of the College in that oflSce.
During the twenty years the campus has been extended and the College
farm greatly enlarged, seven new buildings have been built, the course
of instruction has been broadened and strengthened, the faculty has
been enlarged, the number of undergraduates has increased to nearly
700. Short courses in agriculture have been established; a summer
session is maintained, and extension courses are widely given. An
affiliated college for women was founded in 1918.
The buildings now are: Old Queen's College, whose cornerstone
was laid in 1809; the Alumni and Faculty House (formerly the Presi-
dent's House), built in 1841-42; Van Nest Hall (1845), accommodating
the English and Oratory, the Y. M. C. A. and the Philoclean Society;
Daniel S. Schanck Observatory (1865); Geological Hall (1871), with
its museum and departments of Geology and Physics; Kirkpatrick
Chapel (1873), with also the Fine Arts room and president's office; New
Jersey Hall (1889), with the Experiment Station and Departments of
Agriculture, Botany, and Biology; Winants Hall (1890), the dormitory;
Robert F. Ballantine Gymnasium (1894) ; the Ceramics Building (1902) ;
Ralph Voorhees Library (1903); the Short Course Building (1906);
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the Engineering Building (1908-9); the Chemistry Building (1910);
and the Entomology Building (1911); the Agricultural Building (1914);
the John Howard Ford Dormitory (1914).
The courses of instruction lead to the degrees of A. B., Litt. B., and
B. Sc. The Bachelor of Arts course includes Greek or Latin among its
liberal studies, required and elective. The Bachelor of Letters course
includes liberal studies with modern languages. The Bachelor of Sci-
ence course allows greater privilege in the study of science and oflFers
several distinct groups of study to the choice of the student, a general
science group, or a well-developed technical group in agriculture or
biology or chemistry or ceramics or civil, electric or mechanical engi-
neering. There are now over seventy men on the teaching staff. The
senior professors are Dr. Francis Cuyler Van Dyck, Physics, Emeritus ;
Dr. Austin Scott, Political Science; Dr. Louis Bevier, Jr., Greek; Dr.
Alfred A. Titsworth, Civil Engineering; Dr. John C. Van Dyke, Fine
Arts — all so well known, with others of later appointment, throughout all
the College constituency.
The number of students, now enrolled in degree courses is 700 : Stu-
dents in short courses, 150; iiithe Woinen's College, 180; in the summer
session, 550; bringing the total registry to nearly 1,600, exclusive of many
hundreds in extension work. , . -. '
The College and the Stat^-^The Land Grant Act or Morrill Act of
the Congress of the United States in t662 pfrovided for a grant of land
to a College for the Benefit of Agriciiltuf^jand the Mechanic Arts in each
State of the Union. The act describes each such college as one "where
the leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical
studies, and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning
as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts." The State of New
Jersey did not found a new college, but availed itself of the Federal
Act by entering into relations with Rutgers. The land assigned to the
State realized at its sale $116,000. This amount is held in trust and the
interest is annually paid to the Trustees of Rutgers College in New
Jersey. A later Act of Congress, known as the second Morrill Act, and
a still later supplement, provide a certain annual amount, known as the
Morrill Fund, from the Federal Treasury. Other acts, known as the
Hatch Act and Adams Act, create and maintain an Experiment Station
at the College, a department of research, not instruction, under the
College's administration; and the Smith-Lever Act puts its extension
work also in charge of the College.
It was the purpose of the Federal Acts to stimulate and secure in
each State similar acts, that each State should cooperate with liberal
support. The State of New Jersey entered upon such cooperation when,
in 1890, it created certain scholarships for New Jersey students which it
annually supports. Since that time it has established a department of
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BALLEXTINE GYMNASIUM— DELTA UPSILON CHAPTER HOUSE
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RUTGERS COLLEGE 193
clay-working and ceramics and short courses in agriculture which it
definitely maintains. It has also in more recent years provided equip-
ment for certain scientific departments. It is now beginning to provide
buildings at the College Farm for the advancement of the work of
instruction and experiment in agriculture which in New Jersey, as
well as in all other States, is attaining such remarkable importance and
such high academic recognition. The State is fortunate in having a
college of old foundation and traditions to administer its higher educa-
tion, and the College is honored in the charge thus committed to it.
The State's Board of Visitors possesses a direct connection with the
work. In 1917 by act of the Legislature the State College was also des-
ignated the State University of New Jersey.
Property and Endowment — The College Campus, known in part as the
Queen's Campus and in part as the Neilson Campus, has been acquired
in largest part by gift. Mr. James Parker, of Perth Amboy, was donor
of part of the Queen's Campus and the remainder was secured from his
estate in 1808. The Neilson Campus has been given by Mr. James
Neilson, of New Brunswick, during the last twenty years, in portions
sufficient for the erection of buildings from time to time, and in greatest
part in 1906, and in final part in 1920. The area of the Neilson Campus
is now being extended by purchase. The College Farm, purchased in
part nearly fifty years ago, and recently extended to area of about 350
acres by purchase and by gifts, lies at the other end of the town from the
College Campus. The Athletic Field, for many years allowed to the
College use by its owner, Mr. James Neilson, has now been deeded by
him to the College.
Queen's College, the Faculty and Alumni House (formerly the Pres-
ident's House) and Van Nest Hall (named in honor of Abraham Van
Nest, Esq., a generous benefactor of the College) were erected by general
subscription, the funds being secured chiefly among the people of the
Reformed Church parishes in New York and New Jersey. The Observa-
tory was the gift of Mr. Daniel S. Schanck, of New York City. Geological
Hall was erected by funds received from general and various sources.
Kirkpatrick Chapel carries the name of its donor, Mrs. Sophia Astley
Kirkpatrick, of New Brunswick, who made the College a beneficiary of
her will. Winants Hall, the Dormitory, was the gift of Mr. Garret E.
Winants, of Bergen Point. Ballantine Gymnasium was the gift of Mr.
Robert F. Ballantine, of Newark. New Jersey Hall, the Ceramics Build-
ing, the Short Course Building, the Agricultural Building, a Horticul-
tural Building now being erected, and a new Ceramics Building now
planned, have been provided by the State of New Jersey for special
work maintained by it. The Ralph Voorhees Library carries the name
of its donor. The Engineering Building and the Chemistry Building
have been erected by funds in part at the disposal of the College and
Mld-lS
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194 MIDDLESEX
in part borrowed, awaiting the needed donations. The Ford Dormitory
is the gift of John Howard Ford.
The Class of 1882, the Class of 1883, and the Qass of 1902 have
erected College Gates, and many classes have placed windows in the
Chapel. The Henry R Baldwin Memorial Gates were the gift of many
friends and associates of Dr. Baldwin. In the Library is the Henry
Jancway Weston Memorial room ; and in the Fine Arts room. Queen's
Building, is the Thomas L. Janeway Memorial collection. In the
Museum of Geological Hall are many collections bearing the names of
their donors, the Lewis C. Beck collection, the George H. Cook collec-
tion, the John H. Frazee collection, and the Albert H. Chester
collection. In the Library and New Jersey Hall are the George D. Hulst
collection and the John B. Smith collection of Lepidoptera. In the
Library also is the James B. Laing collection of coins. The value of
buildings, equipment and collections now probably reaches nearly
$2,000,000.
The funds of the College have been acquired in varied amounts at
various times from many donors. The larger part of the endowment,
received from general sources, is included in a general fund. There are
many special funds, however, maintenance, beneficiary and prize funds
which bear special names, some of them memorial. The Anna Atkins
Heckscher Fund, $200,000, is the gift of August Heckscher, Esq. The
Hill Professorship, a foundation of $75,000, is the gift of Rev. Dr. and
Mrs. William Bancroft Hill. The Blair Trust Fund was the gift of
Mr. John I. Blair, the Gould Memorial Fund was the gift of Miss Helen
M. Gould, the Hobart Memorial Fund was the gift of the Hon. Garret A.
Hobart, the Voorhees Professorship Fund was the gift of Mr. Abraham
Voorhees, and the Bookstaver Fund was a bequest from the Hon. Henry
W. Bookstaver. Beneficiary trust funds bear the names of Brownlee,
Hedges, Knox, Mandevillc, Smock, VanLiew, Voorhees and Van Ben-
schoten. Prize funds bear the names of Appleton, Brodhead, Cooper,
Bussing, Smith, Spader, Quick, Suydam, Upson, Vail, Van Doren and
Van Vechten. There are two Fellowship Funds, the gifts respectively
of James H. Blodgett and John Arent Vander Poel. Library funds bear
the names of their donors, Robert H. Pruyn, P. Vanderbilt Spader and
Benjamin Stephens. Mr. Robert F. Ballantine gave a fund to maintain
the building which bears his name ; and Mr. Garret E. Winants gave a
fund to maintain the building which bears his name. A Lectureship Fund
has been given by Luther Laflin Kellogg, Esq. Other special funds bear
the names of Baldwin, Demarest, Duryee, Elmendorf, Suydam, Wes-
ton, Beardslee, Lansing, Raven, Upson, Cook, Halsted, Hardenbergh,
Horton, Sl^ht, Patterson, Taylor, Canfield, Nevius, Van Pelt The
Henry Rutgers Fund is held in trust for the College by the General
Synod of the Reformed Church in America. The entire endowment of
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RUTGERS COLLEGE 195
the College is now about $1,500,000, about $500,000 having been received
in 1919-1920, from a successful million-dollar campaign, $500,000 remain-
ing yet to be paid in.
The Board of Trustees — ^The Charter of 1766 named as the original
Trustees, in addition to the Governor, President of the Council, Chief
Justice and Attorney-General, men whose names were familiar in the
Provinces and the churches of the time. The Charter of 1770, with only
slightest variation, names the same men. Sir William Johnson, Baronet,
is first. Then follow the names of ministers, Johannes Henricus Goet-
schius, Johannes Leydt, David Maurinus, Martinus Van Harlingen,
Jacob R. Hardenbergh and William Jackson, of the Colony of New
Jersey ; Samuel Verbryk, Barent Vrooman, Maurice Goetschius, Eilardus
Westerlo, John Schuneman, of the Province of New York; Philip
Wyberg and Jonathan Dubois, of the Province of Pennsylvania. The
names of laymen conclude the list: Hendrick Fisher, Peter Zabriskie,
Peter Hasenclever, Peter Schenck, Tunis Dey, Philip French, John
Covenhoven, Henricus Kuyper, of the Colony of New Jersey, Esqrs., and
Simon Johnson, Philip Livingston, Johannes Hardenbergh, Abraham
Hasbrouck, Theodorus Van Wyck, Abraham Lott, Robert Livingston,
Levi Pauling, John Brinckerhoff, Nicholas Stillwill, Martinus Hoffman,
Jacob H. Ten Eyck, John Haring, Isaac Vrooman, Bamardus Ryder, of
the Province of New York, Esqrs.
During the years since, nearly a century and a half, both State and
Church have continued to be represented in the body of Trustees by
men of distinction in all professions and in public affairs. Naturally,
the States of New Jersey and New York have given most of the mem-
bers; naturally, ministers and elders of the Reformed Church have
always been a large and influential element; and, naturally, the gradu-
ates of the College have been increasingly represented.
W. H. S. DEMAREST.
THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.
The Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church in America
had its origin in the desire to educate young men for the ministry in
this country instead of being dependent for supply upon Holland and
particularly upon the Qassis of Amsterdam. The church had become
divided on the difference of opinion of this important question, into
the Coetus and Conference parties, the controversy lasting for many
years. The Coetus party struggled for independent American judica-
tories and the establishment of a university with regular advantages
for a theological training. With these objects in view, the Rev. Theo-
dore Frelinghuysen was commissioned in May, 1756, to solicit for funds
in Holland. His departure, however, was delayed four years, and this,
with the unhappy schism in the church, defeated the movement. Eight
years after this, J. H. Livingston, who was studying for the ministry
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in Holland, proposed to his American friends that both of the contending
parties should fix upon a youth and send him to that country to be
specially trained for a professor in the American churches, thus ulti-
mately healing the schism and providing for the churches to be supplied
with satisfactory ministry.
This plan seems not to have been entertained, and Mr. Livingston
forming the acquaintance of Dr. Witherspoon, who had been called
from Europe to take the presidency of the collie at Princeton, sought
to secure arrangements for the education of ministers for the Reformed
Church at that institution. This, however, was opposed by the party
leaders in America, also that of the Conferentie to establish a divinity
professorship in King's College. The subsequent articles of union stipu-
lated that the professors of theology were to be chosen from the Nether-
lands by the advice of the Qassis, and should not have any connection
with any English academies, but should deliver lectures on theology in
their own houses. They were not intended to be parsons ; a fund was to
be raised for their support No endowment, however, was immediately
obtained, some of the most influential churches standing aloof from the
union ; the disturbed political condition of the country was also another
factor, and matters were deferred until after the close of the Revolution,
the Synod in the meantime advising the students to study at their con-
venience with Drs. Livingston, Westerlow, Rysdyck, Hardenbergh or
Goetchius.
While the subject of a professorship was pending, the trustees of
Queen's College sought to carry out the plans of the Coetus party by
calling Rev. John Brown, of Haddington, Scotland, to become their
professor of divinity ; he, however, declined. They subsequently wrote
to the Classis of Amsterdam and to the Theologfical Faculty of Utrecht,
to recommend to them a professor of theology to be also president oi
the college and a member of the ecclesiastical judicatories in America.
The S)mod endorsed the action of the trustees in 1774, and the following
year Dr. Livingston was recommended by the Qassis and Faculty, but
no action was taken, owing to the outbreak of hostilities.
At the close of the Revolution, the subject of the professorship occu-
pied the attention of the churches. Dr. Livingston was in favor of
opening a divinity hall in New Brunswick, stating as his reason that
it was the most central point for all portions of the Reformed Church —
the Dutch in New York and New Jersey, and the Germans in Pennsyl-
vania. This the Synod opposed, deciding to locate the chair in the city
of New York; Dr. J. H. Livingston, in October, 1784, was chosen Pro-
fessor of Theology, and Dr. H. Meyer, pastor of Totowa and Pompton
Plain churches. Professor of Languages. Dr. Livingston entered upon
his duties May 19, 1785, and for a number of years was very poorly
supported by the Synod. Only the more wealthy of the students were
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THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 197
able to meet the high cost of living in the city, the more indigent class
was obliged to pursue their studies with their pastors at home. This
induced the Synod to appoint authorized lectors in theology to accom-
modate the country students. Dr. H. Meyer, of Pompton, was appointed
in 1786, and, six years later. Dr. Soloman Froeligh,*of Hackensack, and
Dirck Romeyn, of Schenectady.
The Synod in 1791 took active measures towards raising a fund for
the endowment of the theological professorship. The work was, how-
ever, suspended for two years owing to a proposition from Queen's
College, repeating their proposition of 1773. The Synod finally decided
that they could not recommend to the college a Professor of Theology
for its presidency until that institution was properly endowed. This
decision caused an influence to be brought on the General Synod for an
independent theological professorship, the Classis of Hackensack urging
the establishment of such a school at once, claiming that a professorship
connected with Queen's College could only be a subordinate office. A
committee appointed by the General Synod in June, 1794, reported that
no union could be eflFected with Queen's College as long as it was situ-
ated at New Brunswick, and that it should be removed to Bergen or
Hackensack. This committee also reported that the Divinity School
could not flourish in New York on account of the expense of living,
and its continuance there prevented the raising of a fund, recommending
that it be removed to Flatbush, where a classical academy existed, or
to some other point.
The Synod accepting the recommendations of its committee. Pro-
fessor Livingston in the spring of 1796 removed to Flatbush. The
number of students at once doubled ; everything appeared encouraging.
The Synod, however, failed to meet the financial requirements of the
school, and. Dr. Livingston's health failing, he deemed it advisable to
return to New York. Thereupon the Synod distributed the school into
three equal parts, thinking that diflFerent localities would become inter-
ested by having a professor residing among them. Drs. Forleigh and
Romeyn were raised to the rank of professors, and in 1800 two pro-
fessors of Hebrew were appointed — Revs. John Bassett and Jeremiah
Romeyn. Thus matters remained until the year 1806, with every day
the prospects of the professoriate growing more dark and dubious. The
uncertainty of location seemed to destroy every eflFort in its behalf.
At this time the trustees of Queen's College made another proposition,
which prepared the way for the ultimate success of the institution. The
trustees proposed to unite with the theological professoriate, and this
was sanctioned by the General Synod with the proviso that all moneys
raised in the State of New York should be applied to the endowment of
the theological professorship.
In the covenant agreed to between the parties, the trustees of the
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198 MIDDLESEX
college promised to combine the literary interests of the college with
a support to evangelical truth, and the promotion of an able and faithful
ministry in the Dutch Church ; that the funds raised in New York should
be appropriated to the support of the theological professorship in the
college, and to the assistance of poor and pious young men preparing
for the ministry. The trustees were to hold the funds, and should call
the Professor of Theolc^y elected by the Synod as soon as the funds
would allow. A board of superintendents was to be appointed by the
Synod to superintend the theological professorship, to be known by the
name of "The Superintendents of the Theological Institution in Queen's
College." The Synod was to provide money for a library, and both
parties were to unite in erecting the necessary buildings, and the pro-
fessional fund was- to be used for that purpose if needed. Funds were
collected in New York ; in less than a year Dr. Livingston was called by
the college trustees as their Professor of Theology. He did not imme-
diately remove to New Brunswick, but he opened the seminary in
October, 1810, with five students.
The Rev. Elias Van Bunschooten donated $17,000 to the institution,
to be used in the support of youths educated for the ministry. Dr.
Livingston made his first report to the Synod in 1812, and three years
later that body, with contributions received from the church in Albany
and New Brunswick, elected Rev. John Schureman as Professor of
Pastoral Theology and Ecclesiastical History. After his death in 1818,
the second professorship embraced the department of Oriental Litera-
ture and Ecclesiastical History. His successor, Rev. John Ludlow,
continued in this department five years, when he was succeeded by Rev.
John De Witt. The further endowment of the institution now became
necessary ; Dr. Livingston opened a subscription in 1822 to which nearly
$27,000 was subscribed within a year by the Particular Synod of New
York.
The Particular Synod of Albany in the fall of 1825 subscribed $27,000,
for the endowment of third professorship. The death of Dr. Livingston
occurred a short time previous to this event, but he lived long enough
to see that success was certain, that the institution for which he had
sacrificed so much during forty years of his life, was at last established
on a firm foundation. It was not, however, until after his death that the
theological institution was fully organized by a full complement of
professors — De Witt, Millendoler and Woodhull.
The Synod now purchased the college buildings in payment of the
obligation of the trustees to them. The trustees had saved the professor-
iate in 1807 by taking it under their care; the Synod now saved the
college from extinction by a similar kindness. The theological pro-
fessors became professors also in the collie, which was reopened under
the name of Rutgers College. The theological professors were relieved
from further duties in the college about 1861.
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THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 199
The want of a theological hall separate from the college building
became a needed want as early as 185 1. The students, complaining of
the high cost of board in New Brunswick, united in a memorial stating
their difficulties and wants, which was presented to the faculty, who
transmitted it to the board of superintendents. The board took immedi-
ate action and their efforts were crowned with success. At the personal
solicitation of Dr. Ludlow, Mrs. Anna Hertzog, of Philadelphia, donated
$30,000 for the erection of a building that should be called "The Peter
Hertzog Theological Hall." Colonel James Neilson donated land valued
at $14,000, and other lots were given by David Bishop, Charles P. Day-
ton, Francis and Wessel Wessels, of Paramus, New Jersey, their prop-
erties forming a complete rectangle. The new building was speedily
erected, containing dormitories, refectory, lecture rooms, chapel, and
library.
The Synod in 1864 transferred the college property back to the
trustees, and the next year the covenants of 1807 and 1825 were finally
annulled. The money thus accruing was devoted to the erection of
professorial residences then in course of erection. In the same year the
fourth professorship, that of Sacred Rhetoric and Pastoral Theology, was
created, and Dr. David D. Demarest was elected to this position. Sub-
scriptions and moneys were received in 1867 amounting to $62,233.09;
the balance remaining after the establishment of the fourth professorship
was to be used in finishing the three professorial residences. A large
amount of these subscriptions proved worthless, and the Synod in 1868
appointed an agent to raise $100,000 to complete the endowment of the
seminary and for payment of the debt of the Synod. An endowment
of $60,000 was received from James Suydam for the establishment of a
chair of Didactic and Polemic Theology, and the Synod very appropri-
ately attached his name to the professorship. Extensive improvements
and repairs were made to the Peter Hertzog Hall, including water and
heating by steam. The noble gift of James Suydam Hall, which was
erected on one side of Hertzog Hall, was dedicated June 5, 1873. ^^
contained a spacious gymnasium, chapel, museum, and four lecture
rooms. In front of it a bronze statue of Mr. Suydam was placed by
friends — b, well deserved tribute to the memory of a liberal benefactor
of the seminary, whose contributions exceeded $200,000.
On the other side of Peter Hertzog Hall stands the Gardner A. Sage
Library, presented by a citizen of New York, Gardner A. Sage, to the
General Synod, and dedicated June 6, 1875. In addition to this gift of
the building, Colonel Sage paid the salary of the librarian, the services
of the janitor, coal, and other incidental expenses. He contributed
$2,500 for the purchase of books, which was augmented by the efforts of
Dr. Cornell, who secured $50,000 for the library, chiefly in subscriptions
of $2,500 each. These moneys were given not for the investment but
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200 MIDDLESEX
to be spent in the purchase of books. The present librarian is John C.
Van Dyke, and the collection now amounts to over 56,000 volumes and
10,000 pamphlets. In 1878, Nicholas T. Vedder, of Utica, New York,
by the donation of $10,000, established a course of lectures to be delivered
by Reformed (Dutch) Church members to the students of the seminary,
and of Rutgers College on 'The Present Aspect of Modem Infidelity,
Including Its Cause and Cure." The General Synod accepted the gift
and established the ''Vedder Lectures on Modem Infidelity.*' This lec-
tureship is not existent now, owing to the failure of the endowment fund
— no fault of the donor. Colonel Sage, in connection with Mr. Suydam,
presented to the General Synod a professorial residence at the cost of
$18,000. These gentlemen left at their respective deaths, large sums for
the endowment of the buildings erected by them, and of the grounds and
other buildings. Mr. Sage endowed also the chair now named for him.
These two men altogether more than doubled the previous endowment,
as they have again been doubled since 1890 by gifts from many donors,
such as Mrs. Ann F. Carver, niece of Mrs. Hertzog, John S. Bussing, and
Miss Anna M. Sandham.
The faculty of the seminary has at different times consisted of a
number of noted educators and scholars. Prominent among these not
already mentioned were Revs. James S. Cannon, Alexander McClelland,
Samuel A. Van Vranken, William H. Campbell, Samuel M. Woodbridge,
Joseph F. Berg, Abraham B. Van Zandt, William V. V. Mabon« John
DeWitt, besides many others. The present president of the faculty is the
Rev. J. Preston Searle, D. D. The Seminary now has five professorial
chairs, three Electorships," and employs three instructors, making a
teaching force of eleven. It has also three endowed lectureships.
ACADEMIES AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
Little is known of the early private schools of New Brunswick pre-
vious to the beginning of the nineteenth century. From 1800 to 1850,
private schools were taught by Charles Poole, Samuel Seymour, Charles
Burnham, John G. Tarbell, Charles Spaulding, Luke Egerton, Aaron
Slack, Thomas Hobart, Benjamin Mortimer, Miss McLaughlin, Miss
Sally Vickers, Mrs. and Miss Bell, Miss Johnson, Abram Ackerman,
Samuel Walker and Professor David Cole. Boys were mostly the pupils,
but some of the schools taught boys and girls. As teacher of girls
exclusively during this period, mention is made of Miss Hays, Madam
McKay, Miss Nancy Drake, Miss Whiting and Miss Hannah Hoyt.
One of the earliest private schools in the city was known as the
"Lancasterian." By the will and testament of William Hall in 1803,
after various bequests, the remainder of his property was left in trust to
be expended in educating poor children in the city of New Bmnswick.
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ACADEMIES AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS 201
This t«ist amounted to about $4,000, and by an act of the Legislature
a board of trustees was created. This board had its first meeting June
8, 1809, but it was not until April 16, 1814, that the first teacher, Shep-
hard Johnson, was appointed. A building known as the Queen's College
was removed to Schureman street, and on June i, 1814, the school was
opened with thirty-five free and six pay pupils. The school was con-
ducted for many years on the "Lancasterian or Monitorial plan." Mr.
Johnson resigned November 20, 1816, and Henry B. Poole was appointed
his successor. The latter resigned June 30, 1818, and was succeeded
by Zerophon T. Maynard. His successor was Mr. Harrison, who
retained the position of principal until the close of 1831, and February
25, 1832, Elihu Cook was appointed to the place. He resigned in 1838
and A. W. Mayo became principal. The school was temporarily sus-
pended in 1853, remaining closed until December i, 1855, when Mr.
Mayo again took charge of the school, which flourished for over a quarter
of a century, but finally succumbed to the public school system.
The private schools of to-day consist of the Rice Industrial Literary
Institute, conducted by Ellen M. Rice, on Comstock street; the Misses
Anable's School on Bayard street ; and the Rutgers Preparatory School
on College avenue. There are also the parochial schools in charge of
Sisters of Charity, connected with the Roman Catholic parishes of St.
Peter, Sacred Heart, St. John the Baptist, St. Lanislaus, and St. Agnes
Academy.
There were in the other towns of the county in early days, before the
introduction of public schools, academies supported by contributions
from the inhabitants of the towns. Among these was the Woodbridge
Academy, which was built in 1793 and gained a farfamed notoriety. It
was built by Jonathan Freeman at a total cost of £342 2s. and 4d. Many
of the early residents of the county were educated at this institution.
The building was finally sold in 185 1, the site being utilized for the
erection of a district school. Another noted academy located in Wood-
bridge was opened as a high school in 1822 by Professor James Schuyler;
this school was attended by scholars from neighboring localities. It was
first known as Elm Tree Inn, but its name was afterwards changed to
Elm Tree Institute.
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OLDEN TIME SCHOOL
THE OLD STAGE COACH
Reproductions from old engravings
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CHAPTER XX.
PUBLIC EDUCATION— THIRTY-THREE YEARS GROWTH OF
PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MIDDLESEX COUNTY, N. J.
NoTS— For more than a half a century, the Public Schools of Middlesex County
have been under the superintendency of father and son, Rev. Ralph Willb and H.
Brewster Willis. By reason of this unusual circumstance, I have been induced to
write this brief sketch of the Public Schools of Middlesex Countsr, keeping in mind
tiiose who have rendered more than ten years of public school service continuously in
supervisory, teaching and administrative positions m the same district It is quite pos-
sible that some names of those worthy, and some important facts have been omitted;
if so, I trust the omission will be forgtven, as I have sought the fullest information.
School service is a patriotic service. The preservation and continuation of our
vrcMent form of government depends very largely upon the public schools of our land.
It is high time tinat more public appreciation should be expressed of the service ren-
dered 1^ those working in the Second Line of National Defense.
H. Brswstkk Wilus.
July I, 1920, New Brunswick, N. J.
Ralph Willis was appointed Superintendent of Schools of the County
of Middlesex more than fifty years ago by Governor Joel Parker, about
the time the Legislature discontinued local township school superin-
tendents. For a period of twenty years he continued in office, improving
the County Public School System, a record of which may be found in
the Annual State School Reports.
In his last report to the State Board of Education the following
appears: "I retire from the office with a grateful sense of the honor
conferred upon me by so many reappointments; with a consciousness
of honest efforts in the performance of my duties; and with pleasant
memories of the respect and kindness of all with whom I have been
officially connected." His official mantle fell upon the shoulders of his
son, H. Brewster Willis, in 1887.
He died March 17, 1895, highly esteemed by all who knew him,
as a faithful and successful school official.
In 1897, County Superintendent H. Brewster Willis attempted to
have the United States Flag float from every school house in Middlesex
county. He discovered that the school law would not permit the Boards
of Education to expend public school money for United States Flags.
Upon this discovery, a campaign was conducted among the Boards of
Education, teachers and pupils, and, through entertainments and dona-
tions, the school districts raised the sum of $3,000, which amount pro*
vided United States flags of varied dimensions and quality, to every
public school property in the county.
In 1898, the County Superintendent drew an amendment to the school
law, which included the purchase of United States Flags among the
items which the Board of Education might purchase out of the fund
for current expenses. This amendment became a law, and the purchase
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204 MIDDLESEX
of United States Flags was made permissible by Boards of Education
out of school funds. In 1900, by a further Act of the Legislature, the
Boards of Education were compelled to purchase United States Flags
and display the same upon or near each public school property, each
school day and at such other times, as said Board of Elducation deemed
proper.
Correspondence with the Secretary of State of the respective States
of the Union in 1898, revealed the fact that Middlesex county was the
first county to uniformly display the United States Flag over all its
school houses, and that the State of New Jersey was the first State to
require by law the United States Flag to float upon or near every public
school building in the State.
City of New Brunswick — In the very early days there was established
a free-school, conducted under the Lancasterian Plan. This famous
school was located in the old four-room wooden building on Schureman
street. Part of the building was occupied as the living quarters of the
teachers.
Under the township act, the New Brunswick schools were known
as School District No. i. In 1890, and since that date, modem ward
schools have been erected.
At the present time this city has six large graded elementary schools,
well equipped; Junior High, and a most modern Senior High School,
comparing favorably with any high school in the State in a city of the
same population. The graduates of eight elementary schools in dis-
tricts immediately surrounding the city, attend this high school. The
graduates of the Senior High School are admitted on certificate to the
leading colleges and universities. At this date the teaching force num-
bers 175, exclusive of a number of evening school teachers and those
who are teachers in classes for foreign bom residents. The total enroll-
ment is about 5400 pupils. Population 32,779. A large number of the
school population attend the excellent Parochial Schools.
Among the City Superintendents who have rendered valuable serv-
ice in the development of the city school system, might be mentioned
Henry B. Pierce, Charles Jacobus, Ellis A. Apgar, George G. Ryan,
William Clinton Armstrong, George H. Eckels and the present City
Superintendent, Ira T. Chapman.
Among the teachers who have served continuously in the city system
for many years are Misses Eleanor S. Lott, Anne Castner, Cecelia Bou-
dinot, Mary Castner, Cornelia Schroeder, Amanda Voorhees, Annie
Rastall, Grace E. March, Carolyn Plechner, Emma A. McCoy, Saidee
Feltcr, Josephine Masso, Angie Wray, Blanche Johnston, Mr. Henry
Miller, Miss Sarah O. Whitlock, Mr. George W. Wilmot, Misses Susie
Crabiel, Saidee A. Smith, Chrissie Bartle, Jessie M. Gray, Selma Erick-
son, Margaret Wall, Bertha Dewald. Permelia Wray, May U. Bogan,
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PUBLIC EDUCATION 205
Maude Hart, Suzanne J. Price, Martha Dewald, Mr. George H. Brooks,
Misses Faye Van De Venter, Helen Morrison, Jessie Morrison, Myra
Selover, Katherine Boudinot, Mrs. Kate C. Marsh (formerly Miss Kate
C. Garland) ; Misses Marjorie Deshler, Sadie Leary, Elsie Dunham, Mrs.
Josephine de Percin (formerly Miss Josephine Paulus); Misses Edith
Richardson and Laura Hughes.
Many of the most distinguished professional and business men have
served long and well upon the Board of Education, among those who
have served for a period of ten years or more, mention might be made
of Garret Conover, John Cheeseman, Thomas N. Doughty, John S. Stew-
art, Abram R. Provost, Robert L. Hoagland, John Helm, Joseph
Eldridge, E. Leon Loblein, Charles E. Tindell, James A. Morrison,
Henry G. Parker, Anthony Viehman, A. L. Smith, Otto O. Stillman,
George C. Ludlow, Theodore G. Nelson, Henry R. Baldwin, Robert J.
Smith and A. W. Winckler. It is worthy of note that H. B. Zimmerman,
Nelson Dunham and Henry L. Janeway each served for a period of
twenty-two years, and that Morris Bauer has been connected with the
Board of Education of the city for a period of twenty-four years.
The sum of $408,340 has been raised for the next school year, which
is an indication of progress. The school system is up-to-date, and with
the completion of the school buildings now being erected, the citizens of
New Brunswick may justly be proud of its educational privileges.
City of Perth Amboy — While private schools were maintained for
the children of the well-to-do, education in the public schools was some-
what delayed. A private school was established in the early days in
what was known as the "State House," then the home of the Governor of
East Jersey, and later known as The Westminster.
The earliest record of an attempt to found a system of public schools
is contained in a minute of a public meeting, bearing date January 9,
1788. The work of the public schools was carried on for many years in
the City Hall, or in rented rooms, until 1780, when the first public
school building was erected, and in a greatly enlarged capacity still
serves, and is known as School No. i.
In 1895, the city took on a new life, and its growth developed a fine
system of schools consisting of thirteen large, well equipped elementary
schools and an up-to-date, capacious High School. Pupils from sur-
rounding districts enjoy the privileges of the High School. Graduates
of the High School are admitted on certificate to twenty-two colleges and
universities. The teaching corps numbers over two hundred, and the
total enrollment is thought to be 8,500. Population 4i»707-
Charles C. Hommann, James S. White, Adrian Lyon and Samuel E.
ShuU have rendered valuable service as City Superintendents. Mr.
Shull has been City Superintendent continuously for a period of twenty-
five years, and his leadership is very generally recognized.
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It IS worthy of note that the following named have taught for many
years: Miss M. Emma MacWilliam, Mr. Edgar H. Kleinhans, Mr.
Charles Dietz, Misses Jennie Pemberton, Anna Joslin, Mary P. Meade,
Grace Hawk, Edith L. Sofield, Mr. Joseph F. Walker, Misses Harriet
Eraser, Katharine McCormick, Mary Morris, Lillian E. Fretz, Mary E.
Hansen, Grace Carman, Anna Major, Agnes Hardiman, Nellie Shean,
Ida B. Miller, Mamie B. Miller, Alice Hegstrom, Sue Franke, Rose
McCormick, Rose M. Blume, Genevieve Frank, Bertha Oxenford,
Blanche Van Syckle, Margaret Connor, Caroline Kimball, Mr. Henry S.
Hulse, Mr. Will W. Ramsay, Misses Augusta D. Martin, Wealthy D.
Heinzleman, Pauline Philo, Margaret J. Slugg, Ellen M. Ostrye, Lillian
M. Canse, Margaret E. Boughton, Ingeborg Oksen, Margaret Martin,
Harriet H. Meade, Alice M. Clack, Philomena Martin, Emma Qausen,
Bertha Brown, Helena M. Wright, Ruth W. Hancock, Lucy Woglom,
Leisa F. Henry, Mabel Lanning, Elsie J. Snyder, Besse R. Hunter, Jetta
Stacey, Florence Leathers, Florence Garretson, Virginia Miller, Leila
Arnold, Katharine A. Martin, Harriet Webster, Esther Laurey, Mr.
Mark R. Lefler, Mr. Glenworth Sturgis, and Miss Mabel E. Treen.
Mr. John K. Sheehy has served as a member of the Board of Educa-
tion for ten or more years and as president of the Board for a number of
years. The sum of $200,000 for maintenance has been raised for the
next school year. The public school system of the city of Perth Amboy
has kept pace with its remarkable growth.
City of South Amboy — For many years the town of South Amboy
comprised two school districts, each containing one school building, in
the township of Sayreville, viz., Park School and Raritan School. One
of the original school buildings is still in use, however, very much
enlarged and modified.
In 1880 the town of South Amboy became a borough, and in 1908
the borough was incorporated into the city of South Amboy, and
recently School No. i has been remodeled into a fine high school build-
ing, with all modem facilities and containing a junior and a senior high
school department. At this date the teaching force includes thirty or
more teachers, exclusive of the vocational evening school teachers. The
school enrollment has reached about nine hundred. This is exclusive of
pupils attending large Parochial Schools. Population 7,897.
In considering the names of those who were in school supervisory
positions in this municipality, should be mentioned the names of James
Corkery, Miss Kate McCoy, Miss Mary Thomas, R. M. Fitch, and City
Superintendent O. O. Barr, who has been in charge of the city schools
for the past six years.
Among the teaching corps who have served continuously for many
years are Misses Laura Rutan, Kate C. Bogart, Katharine O'Connor,
Mary J. Watson, Mary E. Buchanan, Mrs. Florence Matteson (formerly
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PUBLIC EDUCATION 207
Miss Florence Coker), Misses Helen Brown, Martha Buchanan, Ruth
Campbell, Edna M. Agan, Margaret Gallagher, Cecilia McGonigle, Helen
Applegate and Mary Mack.
The two names that stand out conspicuously as school board men
who have rendered long and valuable service are Frank E. DeGraw, who
served eighteen years ; and Alonzo L. Grace, who gave his services for
eleven years. The last appropriation for school purposes called for
$42,250. Under the recent administration the school system of this
municipality has greatly improved, and the quality of the high school
work is recognized in college entrance examinations.
Borough of Dunellen — In the beginning of the last half century, the
school district of Dunellen possessed a one-room school on the site of
the present Whittier School. In 1880 this building was added to and
remodeled into a modem four-room school building, with greatly
increased school facilities.
In 1885 the village of Dunellen was formed into a borough from the
township of Piscataway.
Quite recently the Lincoln School building was erected, providing
eight very desirable school rooms, and at the present time the Whittier
School building is being again enlarged at a cost of nearly $100,000.
Upon the completion of this building the borough of Dunellen will have
two very excellent elementary school buildings. The school enrollment
of the borough is about 700 pupils, and those who complete the eighth
year are permitted to attend the Plainfield High School. Population
3.394-
Among the school supervisors of recent years in this borough^ we
recall E. W. Oley, Lester Meseroll, Guy H. Rentschler and M. Bun-
Mann, who has been supervising principal for the past two years. The
teachers who have served long and well in this district are Misses Imo-
gene Smith, Fannie Smith, Ritie G. Brokaw, E. May Higgins, Ethel C.
Rogers and Mary H. Lindsley.
Among the school board men who have given their services for more
than ten years are August F. Todd; Arthur J. Hanley and Theodore
W. Day, who has just completed his twentieth year of service on the
Board of Education.
The appropriation made for the current expenses for the coming
school year of this district is $28400. The school facilities of this munici-
pality are quite up-to-date, especially with the privilege of sending eighth
year pupils to so excellent a high school as Plainfield maintains.
Borough of Helmetta—Tht growth of the Helmetta school shows a
progressive transition from a one-room frame building, erected in 1885,
to a new brick building of modem construction containing five rooms,
erected in 1912.
The school of Helmetta was one of the first propositions considered
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by Mr. George W. Helme when he built the early snuff mills in the vil-
lage of Helmetta, said to be named after Mr. Helme and one of his
daughters. The founder of the village of Helmetta was very greatly
interested in public education, and the George W. Helme Company has
always befriended the public school interests of the borough and county
generally.
Originally, this district was a portion of East Brunswick township,
and was known as School No. 74. In 1888 it became a borough. The
school facilities are considered among the best in the county. It has
approximately 200 school population, and transports its eighth year
pupils to the Jamesburg High School, upon the completion of the ele-
mentary school course. Population 687.
The school supervision has been in charge of Miss Lizzie F. Straub
for the past thirty years, and her faithfulness and usefulness have been
recognized and appreciated by the citizens of the borough. The teach-
ers who have served faithfully for a number of years are Mrs. Jessie R.
Colbum (formerly Miss Jessie R. Henkel), Misses Alida E. Franklin and
F. Lillian Franklin.
Among the School Board men who have given their services for over
ten years are Clinton M. Clemmons, Robert J. Franklin, Sr., Walter B.
Helme, James Deming, and Chester A. Burt, who served for a period of
twenty-one years The names of Welcome G. Clemmons and William
H. Clemmons will always be associated with Helmetta schools.
Appropriation has been made for current expenses for the coming
school year of $6,000. For a borough of its size, its school facilities
compare very favorably with others, and is likely to do so as long as the
George W. Helme Company officials reside in the borough.
Borough of Highland Park — ^The first public school in Highland Park
was organized in 1885 in a private house, with Miss Chrissie Bartle as
the first teacher. In 1886 a one-room school building was erected on
the site of the present Lafayette School. From time to time, by reason
of the increased school population of the borough, additional rooms and
wings were added until at the present time the Lafayette School is a
large, well-equipped elementary building with spacious grounds. Quite
recently two new buildings of modem type, of four rooms each, known
as the Hamilton and Irving Schools, have been erected, and yet the
school accommodations are wholly inadequate.
The borough was formed in 1905, since which time a very unusual
growth in school population has taken place. The erection of a new
up-to-date building with a spacious auditorium and gymnasium is now
being contemplated to fill a much needed want. It is quite likely that
the school population of the borough of Highland Park has increased in
a larger percentage than any other district in the county within the past
decade, with the exception of one district. The district furnishes very
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PUBLIC EDUCATION 209
excellent elementary school privileges, and sends those leaving the
elementary school to the New Brunswick High School, where they have
very excellent instruction. The enrollment is nearly 900 school chil-
dren. Population 4,866. The corps of teachers at present number over
thirty.
Among those who have had a leading part in the school supervision
of the borough are Thomas G. Van Kirk, J. A. Wilson, Justin Warbasse,
Frank E. Spring, and F. Willard Furth, the present supervising principal.
Misses Mabel W. Stoothoff, Blendina Smock and Bertha Snediker have
served for a number of years faithfully in the school system. Among
the School Board men who have rendered faithful and efficient service
for a number of years, the name of Condit S. Atkinson is most fre-
quently mentioned
The sum of $67,800 has recently been appropriated for current school
expenses for the coming school year. The borough is growing in leaps
and bounds and its citizens are ambitious to keep pace in educational
matters. Considerable community school work is being well directed
by school organizations.
Borough of Jamesburg — In 1887 ^h^ village of Jamesburg was incor-
porated into a borough out of a portion of the territory of the township
of Monroe.
For more than thirty years pupils attended the one-room school
located on the Old Englishtown road. Later a two-room building was
erected on a lot adjoining the Presbyterian church. This building was
destroyed by fire. A two-room building was erected where the elemen-
tary school building now stands. By reason of the growth of the bor-
ough and the appreciation of the course of instruction by those living
outside of the borough, not only the elementary school facilties have
been greatly enlarged, but a modem high school has been erected. The
high school diplomas are recc^^ized by the normal schools and col-
leges. The school population of the municipality is about 700. Popu-
lation 2,671.
Charles Stout, Forman Coosaboom and Curtis A. Deveney have had
charge of the school supervision of the borough for a number of years.
Mr. Deveney, the present supervising principal, has been at the helm
for the past fifteen years, and his good work is generally recognized.
Among the teachers who have rendered a considerable term of service
are Charles L. Stout, Misses Maggie Pownall, Blendina Smock and
Hilda Baremore. John H. Baremore has been a valuable member of
the School Board for more than thirteen years, and John Waddy has
rendered efficient service as a School Board man for more than twenty
years.
The appropriation for the ensuing year for current school expenses
is $17,843. By reason of the large elementary school population the
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Board of Education has decided to build another modern school building
at a cost of $85,000, adjoining the present high school building. Not
less than seven borough and township school districts adjoining and
surrounding the Jamesburg High School transport in large numbers
the graduates from the eighth year. This school under the present effi-
cient management oflFers very excellent high school facilities.
Borough of Metuchen — Many years ago the present school district of
the borough of Metuchen was known as Franklin School District, No.
15, township of Raritan, and the building was known as the Franklin
Civic House, a one-story building with one room. This large room was
divided into two rooms, one of which was used by the Presbyterian con-
gregation for weekly prayer meetings, and the other for public school
purposes. In 1872 a two-story frame building was built on the site of
the present high school building, and in 1907 the present high school
building was erected. More recently, Mr. Charles S. Edgar, now
deceased, donated a plot of ground containing seven acres for school
purposes, upon which an up-to-date elementary school has been erected
and designated as the "Edgar School." These two buildings, together
with a movable two-room building, adjoining the high school, furnish
very excellent school accommodations, for a school population of about
800 children. Population 3,334.
The names which stand out the most prominently as school super-
visors in this district, are A. T. S. Qark, Henry Anderson, and Thomas
G. Van Kirk, the present incumbent, who has occupied the position of
supervising principal for more than twenty years, serving the township
of Raritan for six years and the borough since its formation in 1904.
Misses Anna Cheeseman and Martha C. Vogel, and Mrs. Jasper H.
Hogan (formerly Miss Emma Siemons), have been faithful and effi-
cient teachers in this district for a number of years. Prominent among
the School Board men, are the names of Thorfin Tait and that "grand
old man," Robert Bruce Crowell, recently deceased, who served on the
School Board continuously for nearly half a century.
The recent appropriation for current school e3q>enses was $29,960.
The high school graduates are received in the normal schools and col-
leges upon evidence of graduation. The citizens of Metuchen have
always manifested a pride in the work of the public school.
Borough of Middlesex — For many years the district now included in
the borough of Middlesex, which was formed in 1913, had but a single
one-room school, known as Harris Lane School. This building, which is
still standing, was erected over one hundred years ago, and is possibly
the oldest existing school building in the county of Middlesex. The land
on which the building stands was donated to the community by Mr.
Hendrick Smock. The teachers were paid by the parents of tfie pupils
attending, and the money for the erection of the school house was raised
by public subscription.
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PUBLIC EDUCATION 21 1
The Pierce, Watchung and Parker schools, all elementary, accommo-
date the 500 school population with some difficulty. Population 1,852.
At a recent meeting the district voted the sum of $112,000 for an up-to-
date, fireproof school building with all modem equipment, much to the
credit of the public-spirited citizens of the borough.
Mr. William Love has been in charge of the school supervision since
the borough formation, and the results of his work are very commenda-
ble. The name of Miss Nora B. Henderson, who taught in the township
of Piscataway for a number of years and in the borough of Middlesex
since its formation, a total experience of twenty-six years, is a household
name in the community.
The men who were most interested in the educational facilities of the
new borough were Max F. Wirtz, James V. N. Polhemus, Louis V.
Poulson, Stewart C. Crouse, Clinton M. Cary, John L. Douglass, Bayard
Naylor, Augustus C. Ramsey, Everett A. Gowdy, John H. Sebring and
Joseph White.
The recent appropriation for current school expenses was $41483,
and this amount, together with the amount appropriated for the new
building, makes a total appropriation of $153483. The elementary
school graduates attend the Plainfield and Bound Brook high schools.
For its age, this young borough is exceedingly promising in educational
matters.
Borough of MiUtown — ^The village of Milltown was formerly a por-
tion of East Brunswick and North Brunswick townships, separated by
a stream known as Lawrence brook. The first school was located some-
where back of the Methodist church. Later a two-room school on Main
street, was erected.
Milltown was formed into a borough commission in 1888, and erected
a four-room school building. Later, the borough commission became a
full-fledged borough, and a fine modem eight-room school was erected
on a desirable lot, donated to the borough by Mr. James Ford, a resident
of New York City, who for many years was interested in Milltown.
Later there were four more rooms added to the building, which at the
present time is wholly inadequate for a school population of 600 chil-
dren. Population 2,573.
The men who have been most prominent in the school supervision
of the district are E. W. Merritt, Warren A. Roe, Harry R. B. Meyers,
and the present incumbent, Stephen F. Weston, who very recently has
taken charge. The teachers who have served for a considerable period
in the school are Misses Eva Benham and Annie Merritt. Miss Grace
Shaw is now completing her tenth year of faithful service. J. Milton
Brindle, Howard S. DeHart and George Heyle have served more than
ten years each on the Board of Education. The sum of $28,750 has been
raised for the next school year, and the sum of $65,000 has recently been
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212 MIDDLESEX
voted for the purchase of a playground and the erection of an additional
school building. With these additional school accommodations, Mill-
town scho<rf facilities will be abreast with boroughs of like peculation.
Borough of Roosevelt — ^The district known as Roosevelt was formerly
known as Blazing Star District, No. 22, and a part of Woodbridge town-
ship. The borough of Roosevelt was incorporated in 1906. At that time
there was a thirteen-room school in Chrome section of the borough; a
four-room school in the Carteret section, and a one-room school at
the East Rahway section, which school was later discontinued.
So marvelous has been the growth in valuations and population that
in order to provide adequate school accommodations, addition after
addition to the school buildings became necessary in order to accom-
modate 2,000 children of school age. Population 11,047.
The borough has a teaching corps of about fifty teachers. Some
seventy-five high school children attend the Rahway High School, and
many of the high school graduates have attended the New Jersey Normal
Schools and Columbia University.
The school supervision has been in charge of Miss Barbara V. Her-
mann as supervising principal for the past thirteen years. The teachers
who have served faithfully for ten years or more in said borough are
Miss Catherine Hermann, principal of the Carteret section school:
Misses Anna Devereux, Mary Devereux, Mary Connolly and Ethel
Keller.
The School Board men who have served faithfully for more than ten
years are Edward J. Heil, Matthew A. Hermann, Charles H. Morris,
Frank J. Bom, Patrick J. Coughlin, George W. Morgan and Valentine
Gleckner. Appropriation has been made for current expenses for the
coming school year of $83,862. The school system of the borough of
Roosevelt is one of the most complete elementary systems in the county.
Its equipment, including its home-making department, will compare
favorably with any borough of the State, of the same population.
Borough of Sayreville — Prior to 1871 the village of Sajrreville was a
part of the township of South Amboy. In this year the town of South
Amboy was incorporated into a borough by a special Act of the Legisla-
ture. The remaining section of the township was named after James R.
Sayre, one of the founders of the Sayre-Fisher Manufacturing Company,
which at that time was the only industry in the township, but to-day
it is conceded to be one of the largest industries of its kind in the world.
The school trustees of the district, which was then known as Dis-
trict No. 37, advocated and erected a school building at a cost of $4>ooo,
which was then and still is known as School No. i in said district This
district has recently been made the borough of Sayreville. At the present
time, the district embraces three school buildings, the school property
at Ernston having been taken by the Government during the war. The
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PUBLIC EDUCATION 213
school population numbers about 600. The graduates of the elementary
school attend high school in South Amboy and New Brunswick. Popula-
tion 7,181.
Mr. Jesse Selover has been supervising principal of this district for
fourteen years, or more, having acted previously as principal of No. i
School for a period of five years. Among the teachers who have served
faithfully and well for the past ten years or more, are Misses Mercy
Hillmann, Emma Arleth and Catherine Samsel. Mr. James N. Blew,
now deceased, served as a School Board man for a period of twenty years
and Mr. George L. Sullivan for more than ten years.
The current expense appropriation for the coming year is about
$25,000, and at a recent meeting an appropriation of $105,000 was voted
for a new school building which has been greatly needed for a number
of years. With the completion of the new building, the borough of
Sayreville will have reason to be proud of its public school accommoda-
tions and instruction.
Borough of South River — ^The borough of South River was formerly
a part of the township of East Brunswick. Later it was made a commis-
sion by special Act of the Legislature, and at a comparatively recent
date it was made a full fledged borough. Until 1908 the three-room brick
building, with several additions, met the school requirements. After
that date the growth of the borough necessitated additional school build-
ings. No. 2 and No. 3, buildings of considerable size, have been erected
to meet the demands of the school population, and No. 3 is used for
High School purposes. The school population is about 1,300, and the
teachers number 36. Population 6,596.
Those most prominently in charge of the school supervision of recent
years have been William Campbell, Francis P. O'Brien, Louis J.
Kaser, William H. Connors, and T. Frank Tabor, who has been super-
vising principal for the past three years. Among the teachers who have
served long and well in this district are Misses Sarah T. M. Brown, Mary
Stadler, Estelle Van Arsdale, Theresa Smith and Jessie Henderson.
Their long term of faithful service justifies special mention. Mr. George
Allgair has been a member of the School Board for twenty-four contin-
uous years, and Rev. William J. Kern for a period of ten years.
The sum of $55,998 has been appropriated for the current expenses
for the coming school year, and $155,000 for alterations to School No. i.
School No. I, while among the most substantially built school buildings
of the county, has become antiquated, and the Board of Education is
planning to make either substantial alterations or erect a new building.
When this has been accomplished, the borough of South River will have
provided ample and modem school accommodations for the school popu-
lation, which is increasing very rapidly.
Borough of Spotswood — ^The borough of Spotswood was formerly a
part of the township of East Brunswick, and became a borough in 1908.
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For many years the one-room school taught by Miss Eugenia Dimmick
was well known throughout the county for its high grade of work. Later
an additional room was added, and Mr. Thomas G. Van Kirk became the
principal. In 1901, the old school building was used for a fire department,
and an up-to-date four-room brick building was erected across the road-
way immediately opposite the old building. This borough has a school
population of about 250, and at present necessitates half-day classes in
some of the grades. Population 704.
School supervision has been in charge of Miss Anna Fitts, who has
taught in the district for a period of twenty-six years, and has been act-
ing as supervising principal for the past eleven years. The names of
Roy P. Stillwell and Mark W. Swetland appear prominently as princi-
pals of the school, immediately prior to the borough formation. Mr.
John O. Cozzens has been a member of the Board of Education contin-
uously for a period of forty-four years, and is the dean of School Board
men of the county. Mr. Charles DeVoe has rendered many years of
valuable service as a School Board man.
The sum of $3,027 has been appropriated for the current school
expenses during the coming year. This district is in need of additional
school accommodations. At least two rooms should be added at once
to the present school building. The grounds are ample and well kept.
The graduates of this school are transported by automobile to the James-
burg High School.
Township of Cranbury — ^The history of the Cranbury schools dates
from the organization of the first church in 1738. There is a record of an
Indian mission school about 1756, established by David Brainard. Later,
two district schools were organized, one known as the South Cranbury
School, and the other as the Bunker Hill School. These schools were
separated by a considerable lake, and continued to vie with each other
until the new grammar school was built in 1896. The Board of Educa-
tion closed the school at Cranbury Neck and Wycoffs Mills, and trans-
ported the pupils to a central grammar school. This transportation
necessitated an enlargement of the grammar school building to eight
rooms, with a manual training room equipment.
In 1919, that portion of the township of Cranbury commonly known
as Plainsboro, was set off by the Legislature into the new township of
Plainsboro. This separation leaves one large elementary school building
in the township, to which children are transported by a number of con-
veyances. The graduates of this elementary school are transported by
autos to the high school in Hightstown. The school population of Cran-
bury township is about 250, and the corps of teachers is eight in num-
ber. Population 1,083.
Valuable service was rendered during the two-school period by Miss
Ella Davis (later Mrs. Amzi Duncan), and Miss Holmes. Miss Laura
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PUBLIC EDUCATION 215
Scudder has been a teacher in said district continuously for a period of
twenty-two years, and Miss Anna L. Ervin for a period of sixteen years.
For the past eight years Mr. Floyd L. Evans has occupied the position
of supervising principal of said district.
Mr. William F. Pcrrine and Howard J. Butcher have been board
members continuously for over twenty-five years, and John V. B.
Wicoff, R. S. Mason, E. S. Barclay, S. H. Perrine, D. J. Wilson and
J. H. Conover have served on the Board of Education for a period of
more than ten years. The current expense appropriation for the coming
year was $13,300. This district requires additional school accommo-
dations of at least two rooms and an auditorium. These improvements
are now being considered by the Board of Education.
Township of East Brunswick — Some years ago, the township of East
Brunswick included what is now known as the borough of South River,
borough of Helmetta, borough of Spotswood, and a portion of the bor-
ough of Milltown. The oldest building in the district is the Weston's
Mills School, No. 2, which is still standing, but abandoned. It is situated
near the location of the old tollgate on the New Brunswick and Old
Bridge turnpike. There are five school buildings within the district,
three of which are graded schools. The graduates from the elementary
school are transported to the high school at South River and the high
school at New Brunswick. The school population is about 500 and the
number of instructors 12. Population 1,857.
The school supervision of this district has been in charge of Mr.
John F. D. Heineken for a period of twenty-one years. Misses Kathryn
A. Newmyer and Mae A. Newmyer have rendered valuable service as
teachers continuously for more than ten years in this district. Nine
years of valuable service was rendered by Mr. Harry R. B. Meyers as
principal of School No. 7, Dunham's Comer, immediately prior to his
election as supervising principal of the borough of Milltown. Dr. I. C.
Crandall has served upon the School Board for twenty-one years, and
Mr. Henry Wamsdorfer for more than ten years. The current school
expense appropriation for the coming year is $8,500.
The townships of Sayreville and Madison send a considerable num-
ber of pupils to the Old Bridge School, in which there is not sufficient
room for desirable work, and, unless said townships erect additional
school buildings for the accommodation of their pupils, it will be abso-
lutely necessary for the Board of Education to enlarge the present school
building at Old Bridge. The township territory remaining, after the
formation of four boroughs, presents a difficult problem to the school
administrators, the solution of which will ultimately be a consolidation
of schools, with transportation.
Township of Madison — Madison township contains seven public
schools. The building located in the Morristown section is undoubtedly
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the oldest building in the township. The school population in the district
is about 400. The graduates of the elementary school attend the high
schools at Jamesburg, Matawan and Perth Amboy. Population 1,808.
The school administration of this district was in charge of Mr. Asbur>-
Fountain for more than ten years. He was succeeded three years ago
by Mr. Raymond E. Voorhees, the present supervising principal. Miss
Marguerite Winter has given twenty-four years of continuous service in
the Morristown district, and it would be difficult to overvalue her work
in that community. Mrs. Lambertson (formerly Miss Bessie Wame),
and Miss Viola Wilson have given more than ten years, respectively, of
teaching. The School Board men, who have rendered more than ten
years of service, are Edward Barker, John Otto, Michael Schulmeister
and D. H. Brown.
Appropriation has been made for current expenses for the coming
school year of $8,802. By reason of the proximity of so many school
children living on the Madison township line near the village of Old
Bridge, and the establishment of the sections known as Nos. i and 2,
Brunswick Gardens, a new four-room school building is very much
needed and should be located centrally, so as to provide school accom-
modations for the children of these three sections. The Board of Educa-
tion realizes the condition, and will undoubtedly meet the requirements
of the law.
Township of Monroe — In the early days the township of Monroe had
seven schools. The same school locations still exist with improved
school buildings. The school population numbers about 300 pupils, and
all of the graduates of the elementary schools attend the Jamesburg
High School or Hightstown High School. Population 2,006.
The school supervision has been in charge of the following super-
vising principals : Messrs. William H. Connors, Roy R. Stillwell, Harris
A. Jamison and Raymond E. Voorhees, who is the present supervisor.
Miss Rebecca T. Allen has rendered faithful service in this district for
a period of twenty-nine years continuously. Mr. Daniel W. Clasrton,
Mr. George Mount and Mr. James H. Tilton have served upon the Board
of Education for many years. Mr. Daniel W. Clayton was a charter
member of the County School Board Association, and has been its
treasurer ever since its organization. The current expense appropria-
tion for the coming school year is $12,000.
The schools known as Gravel Hill, Dey Grove, Pleasant Grove and
Old Church, should be closed, and the pupils transported to a new,
up-to-date school building in a central location.
Township of North Brunswick — ^There are four school buildings in the
township of North Brunswick, the oldest of which is Oak Hill, which
is known to have been in existence for more than eighty years. The
earliest record (1861), reveals the fact that George B. Wight, who later
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PUBLIC EDUCATION 217
became the Rev. George B. Wight, was the teacher. Mr. Wight entered
the Civil War, and later he became one of the best known Methodist
ministers in the State.
The other schools are known as Red Lion, Livingston Park and
Adams. The city of New Brunswick has recently taken a portion of
North Brunswick township into the city limits, which will to some extent
affect the attendance in the Livingston Park School. The graduates
from the elementary schools attend the New Brunswick High School.
The school population numbers 200. Population 1,399.
Mrs. Anna Williams has given seventeen continuous years of school
service in this district, and Mrs. Ruckman (formerly Miss Mamie F.
Tracy), has taught in this district for fourteen years. Miss Bessie M,
Schoenly, the supervising principal, has been in charge for the past five
years. Mr. Thomas W. Buckelew has been a member of the School
Board for thirty years, and Mr. Edward W. Suydam has served for a
period of over ten years.
The appropriation for this district for current expenses is $11480.
The board is wisely transporting the children from the Oak Hill school
to the graded school at Milltown. It has purchased a valuable lot upon
which to erect a new school building at or near Berdine's Comer. A
new one-room school building has just been completed at Adams Sta-
tion, which is known as an Italian settlement. This new building will
give much needed relief to the Red Lion Graded School, which was
greatly overcrowded.
Township of Piscataway — Fifty years ago, the township of Piscataway
included within its borders what are now known as the borough of Dun-
nellen and the borough of Middlesex. There were seven small ungraded
schools, with seven teachers. Now there are three large graded schools
and one ungraded school, with a corps of twenty-four teachers. The
school building at New Market, South Plainfield and Brunswick avenue,
are large and well equipped schools. The school population is about
1,000 pupils. The graduates of the elementary schools attend the high
school at Plainfield, New Brunswick and Bound Brook. Population
5.385.
The school supervision has been in charge of Mr. Alfred Wilson
(now principal of one of the largest schools in Newark), and Mr. William
F. Mets, who has occupied the position of supervising principal of the
township for the past fifteen years. Misses Meta F. Soper, Carolyn
Van Pelt, Harriet I. Gregory and Mabel A. Bowers, and Mr. Frank
Meskill, have taught successfully and continuously for many years in
the district. Among the men who have served more than ten years upon
the School Board are: Everett Marshall, A. G. Nelson, John Geary,
J. F. Ten Eyck and F. O. Nelson. The appropriation for the approaching
year is $47,141. By reason of the increase of School population in South
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2i8 MIDDLESEX
Plainfield, another graded school building is required to provide the
school accommodations demanded by law. The Board of Education is
already considering such a building, and when it shall have been erected,
Piscataway school district will have reascm to feel proud of its public
school facilities.
Township of Plainsboro — ^What is now known as the township of
Plainsboro has had only one school building in its territory for many
many years. The rapid growth of the community required buildings
providing four school-rooms. The people of the district have voted
$50,000 for the purpose of erecting an up-to-date four-room school, of
Princeton stone, with spacious auditorium, home-making department,
shower baths, electric light, with ample recreation grounds. Schoc^
population of this district is 125. Population 800.
The school supervision has been in charge of Mr. Floyd L. Evans,
who has acted in the capacity of supervising principal for the past ten
years. Miss Luella Hults has taught in this community for a period of
ten years. Mr. John V. B. WicoflF, who as a young man attended the old
one-room school, has for many years been the firm and progressive
friend of the public school interests of Plainsboro, and together with
Mr. H. W. JeflFers, was largely instrumental in the formation of the dis-
trict.
Appropriation has been made for current expenses for the coming
year of $4,000. Since the recent formation of this new district, which
includes a portion of the territory of Cranbury and South Brunswick
townships, a number of prominent men have become interested in the
character of the school facilities and the government of the township;
among them are Mr. Henry W. JeflFers, superintendent of the Walker-
Gordon Dairy Farms, and a number of oflScials from the Rockefeller
Institute. This locality catches the educational echo from old Prince-
ton College. Graduates from the elementary department are transported
to the Princeton High School. The school facilities of this new town-
ship are full of promise.
Township of Roritan — ^The township of Raritan, prior to 1904, con-
tained ten school districts, nearly all one-room school buildings. In 1904,
the borough of Metuchen was formed, and in 1906 the borough of High-
land Park was organized out of the territory of Raritan township, thus
removing from the township all the graded school buildings. In 1908,
a movement for larger and better schools was begun, which resulted in
the building of two four-room school buildings in the following year.
The population in the Piscatawaytown-Lindenau section grew so rap-
idly as to necessitate an up-to-date eight-room brick building, which
at the present time is inadequate. The school population is about 1,100,
and is distributed so widely over the district that transportation is
required in several directions. Population 5A^9'
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PUBLIC EDUCATION 219
For a number of years, Mr. Thomas G. Van Kirk was supervising
principal of the district. He was succeeded by Mr. Charles Runyon, who
has acted in the capacity of supervising principal for the past sixteen
years. The names of Wilfred R. Woodward, Miss Dillie F. Thomall,
Miss Susan M. Fillips, Mrs. Charles Runyon (formerly Miss Jennie E.
Serviss), Mrs. Elizabeth L. Swackhamer, Mrs. Charlotte R. Haas, Miss
Qara E. Runyon, Mrs. George Carman (formerly Miss Josephine Flana-
gan), and Samuel R. Brash, are worthy of notice for long terms of service,
especially Misses Susan M. Fillips and Dillie F. Thornall, who have
taught in the district continuously for twenty-eight years; and Mrs.
George Carman and Mr. Wilfred R. Woodward, for a period of twenty-
four years. The administrative line of work has been largely con-
trolled by William T. Woerner, who has been a member of the board
continuously for thirty-six years, William Carman, 35 years, and Jerry
W. Letson, who served on the board for a period of more than ten years.
The appropriation for the coming year is $60,000. The district has
recently raised for new buildings $250,000. It is proposed to pur-
chase a desirable lot of considerable size on the trolley line between
Metuchen and Fords, and erect an up-to-date eight-room building, and
to add six or eight rooms to the Piscatawa3rtown building. When these
improvements shall have been made, the district will have excellent
school facilities, considering the awkward territory left in the township
after taking away the borough territory of Metuchen and Highland Park.
Township of South Brunswick — Some years ago the school system
of the township of South Brunswick consisted of thirteen schools, twelve
of which were one-room rural school buildings, Kingston being the only
two-room school building in the district. Three new buildings have
more recently been erected— one single room building at the Ridge, two
four-room buildings, one at Dayton, and one at Monmouth Junction.
The old school buildings at Mapleton, Scott's Comer, Little Rocky Hill
have been abandoned. The school population of the township is about
650, and the graduates of the elementary schools attend the high school
at Jamesburg, Princeton and New Brunswick. Population 2,666.
For a number of years the Rev. J. N. Folwell occupied the position
of supervising principal. His successor, Mr. Floyd L. Evans, has been
in supervisory control for the past thirteen years. The teachers who
have taught in this district for a number of years are Misses Margaret
Terhune, Mary A. Green, Henrietta M. Osborne and Gertrude W. Shann.
Among those who have served on the Board of Education are Mr. Salter
S. Selover, thirty-two years; Mr. Frank W. Stout, twenty-nine years;
Mr. William Perkins, ten years.
The sum of $27,000 has been appropriated for current expenses for
the coming year. From present indications, it would appear that within
the near future a large graded school of eight or more rooms should be
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220 MIDDLESEX
erected at or near Dayton, to which the children from Pleasant Hill, Road
Hall, Fresh Ponds and Deans could be transported. Great difficulty has
already been experienced in securing teachers for these one-room rural
schools. • The remedy is consolidation of one-room schools, which would
also be a blessing to the children.
Township of Woodbridge — Previous to the year 1876, the only schools
outside of Wpodbridge proper were Iselin, Locust Grove, Six Roads and
Fords, Rahway Neck and Blazing Star. About this time the Woodbridge
grammar school was constructed, which was the most noticeable school
building in this section of the county. In 1906 the borough of Roosevelt
was formed, leaving within the district of Woodbridge eight school
buildings, most of which are up-to-date school buildings with most
modern appointments.
The district maintains a central high school, a central grammar school
and six elementary schools which prepare the children for the gram-
mar school previous to their attendance at the high school. The special
teachers of the high school faculty supervise the drawing, music, manual
training, the manual arts, penmanship and physical training, in these
outlying elementary schools. The school population approaches 3,000
children. Population 13423.
Mr. John H. Love has been the supervisory officer of the district
for a period of twenty-five years, being the dean of supervisors in Mid-
dlesex county. The following are the names of teachers who have
rendered valuable service in this district : Misses Annie Richards, Viola
E. Dunham, Ethel A. Inslee, Jennie D. Garthwaite, Grace C. Huber, Mr.
Isaac H. Gilhuly, Misses Margaret Lockwood, Helen V. Ensign, Helen
Lorch, Louise A. Huber, Rena Allen, Mrs. Ruth K. Green, Misses Orpah
Harvey, Beatrice L. Meyer, Stella J. Wright, Grace A. E. Bayliss, Julia
E. M. Bayliss, Sophie K. Johnson, Edith G. Hinsdale, Mrs. Mary La-
Forge (formerly Miss Mary S. Clark), Mrs. Adelaide Noble (formerly
Miss Adelaide Paxton), Mrs. Jeanne Travis (formerly Miss J. Jeanne
Adams), and Mrs. Hazel Matthews (formerly Miss Hazel Gilhuly). Mr.
Everett C. Ensign has been a member of the Board of Education for
a period of twenty-four years, and Mr. Howard A. Tappen, Mr. Howard
R. Valentine, Mr. Charles Farrell and Mr. Melvin Clum for more than
ten years.
The school appropriation for next year is $196,997. The school
facilities of Woodbridge township will bear a favorable comparison,
from the standpoint of school buildings, equipment and supervision, with
any township school district in the State, with a similar population and
valuation. Woodbridge has always been a leader in educational matters.
The following is a table of comparison of thirty-three years of growth :
School Phases. , 1887. 192a Tncrcasc
Number of Male Teachers Employed 20 83 63
Number of Female Teachers Employed 160 783 ^3
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PUBLIC EDUCATION 221
Average Salary Paid to Male Teachers 800 1,600 800
Average Salary Paid to Female Teachers 550 1,100 550
Total Nuinber of Pupils Enrolled 8,850 30,000 2i,iS0
Average Daily Attendance 6poo 22,317 16,317
Value of School Proj)erty ojopoo 3,454100 3,184,100
Total District School Appropriation 60,000 95o/>45 898;o46
Total State School Appropriation 70^000 454,673 384,673
Total Amount Received from all Sources 130,000 1,412,719 1,282,719
Honor Roll — So many of the residents of the county have rendered
such long and valuable public school service in Middlesex county that I
take pleasure in mentioning the names of those who have served suc-
cessfully and continuously for many years, hoping that the public will
appreciate these faithful workers upon whom depend Business Enterprise ;
Good Citizenship; Public Security; State Pride; National Prosperity —
aye, the very perpetuity of our institutions depend upon our Public
School Teachers, Public School Officials, Public School Facilities.
The following named have been supervising principals, with an
active service for more than ten years ; years of service:
Samuel E. Shull (Supt.) Perth Amboy, 25; John H. Love, Wood-
bridge, 25 ; Miss Lizzie F. Straub, South Ambov, 20 ; John F. D. Heine-
ken, Milltown, 19; Thomas G. Van Kirk, Metuchen, 19; Charles Runyon,
New Brunswick, 17; William F. Mets, New Market, 15; Curtis A.
Deveney, Jamesburg, 15; Jesse Selover, South River, 14; Floyd L. Evans,
Dayton, 13; Barbara V. Hermann, Chrome, 13; Anna Fitts, Spots-
wood, 13.
The following named have served as teachers, in active service for
more than twenty years ; years of service :
Fifty Years — Eleanor S. Lott, New Brunswick.
Thirty to Forty Years — Mary Castner, New Brunswick, 35 ; Cecelia
Boudinot, New Brunswick, 35 ; Cornelia Schroeder, New Brunswick, 34 ;
Annie Richards, Woodbridge, 34 ; M. Emma MacWilliam, Perth Amboy,
33 ; Katharine O'Connor, South Amboy, 33 ; Mary Stadler, South River,
33 ; Sarah T. M. Brown, South River, 33 ; Gertrude W. Shann, Kingston,
33; Amanda Voorhees, New Brunswick, 31; Viola E. Dunham, Wood-
bridge, 30; Miss Meta F. Soper, Metuchen, 30; Mr. Charles Dietz, Perth
Amb3y, 30.
Twenty to Thirty Years — ^Jennie Pemberton, Perth Amboy, 29 ; Mary
J. Watson, South Amboy, 29; Carolyn Plechner, New Brunswick, 28;
Dillie F. Thomall, Metuchen, 28; Susan M. Fillips, Metuchen, 28; Mar-
fuerite Winter, CliflFwood, 27 \ Susie B. Felter, New Brunswidc, 26;
arah O. Witlock, New Brunswick, 25 ; Margaret Terhune, New Bruns-
wick, 25; Emma A. McCoy, New Brunswick, 24; Anna Joslin, Perth
Amboy 24 ; Wilfred R. Woodward, New Brunswick, 24 ; Mrs. Josephine
F. Carman, Metuchen, 24 ; Josephine Masso, New Brunswick, 23 ; Angle
Wray, New Brunswick, 23 ; Edith L. Sofielcf New Brunswick, 23 ; Kath-
arine McCormick, Perth Amboy, 23 ; Edgar H. Kleinhans, Perth Amboy,
23; Mrs. Florence C. Matteson, South Amboy, 23; Blanche Johnston,
New Brunswick, 22; Joseph F. Walker, Perth Amboy, 22; Mary P.
Meade, Perth Amboy, 22; Grace Hawk, Perth Amboy, 22; Mary E.
Buchanan, South Amboy, 22; Laura Scudder, Cranbury, 22; Henry
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222 MIDDLESEX
Miller, New Brunswick, 21 ; Adelle Williams, Perth Amboy, 21 ; Frank
Meskill, South Plainfield, 21 ; Henrietta M. Osborne, Dayton, 21 ; Ethel
A. Inslee, Woodbridge, 21; George W. Wilmot, New Brunswick, 20;
Susan Crabiel, Milltown, 20; Harriet Eraser, Perth Amboy, 20; Helen
Brown, Perth Amboy, 20 ; Estelle Van Arsdale, South River, 20 ; Mercy
Hillmann, South Amboy, 20.
Names of those who have rendered unusually long term of service
but not on the Honor Roll by reason of change of district :
Blendina Smock, New Brunswick, 36 years; Nora B. Henderson,
Freehold, 35; Chrissie Bartle, New Brunswick, 35; Anna Cheeseman,
Metuchen, 29.
Names of those who have rendered unusually long term of service,
but have retired with pension :
Amanda E. Van Nuis, Perth Amboy ; ♦Anne Caster, New Brunswick ;
Rebecca T. Allen, Hightstown ; Louise H. Connell, Emma Gilman, Ella
Kent, Frances Kent, Perth Amboy ; Laura Rutan, Kate C. Bogart, South
Amboy; Mary Wakeham, Laura Wilson, New Brunswick; ♦Isabelle
Huff, ♦Mary E. Vaughan, Perth Amboy; ♦Sarah J. Price, ♦Elizabeth
Heward, New Brunswick.
♦Deceased.
Names of School Board members; with address and years of service :
Forty to Fifty Years — ^John O. Cozzens, Spotswood, 42.
Thirty to Forty Years — ^William T. Woerner, New Brunswick, 36;
William Carman, Metuchen, 35; Salter S. Selover, Jamesburg, 32;
Thomas W. Buckelew, New Brunswick, 30.
Twenty to Thirty Years — Frank W. Stout, Monmouth Junction, 29;
William F. Perrine, Cranbury, 26; Howard J. Butcher, Cranbury, 25;
Everett C. Ensign, Woodbridge, 24; George Allgair, South River, 24;
Chester A. Burt, Helmetta, 21 ; L C. Crandall, Old Bridge, 21 ; Theodore
W. Day, Dunellen, 20.
Note — Mr. R. Bruce Crowell, of Metuchen, N. J., who recently died,
had served as a member of the Board of Education for fifty years.
Realizing that there would be a much greater proportional return
from combined effort than from individual effort, the following organiza-
tions have been established for a number of years and have been very
helpful from the viewpoint of better preparation, unity of purpose, socia-
bility and community interests :
Teachers' Library — ^Twenty-five years ago there was organized a
Teachers' Library, composed of one hundred and fifty professional works,
established in the third story of the old Free Circulating Library, comer
of George and Paterson streets. New Brunswick, New Jersey. The
object of this library was to provide the most recent professional publi-
cations for the use and benefit of the teachers of the county. The
board of managers consisted of H. Brewster Willis, County Superin-
tendent, president; George G. Ryan, Superintendent of Schools of the
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PUBLIC EDUCATION ' 223
City of New Brunswick, vice-president; Alfred J. Wilson, Supervising
Principal of Piscataway Township, secretary ; Samuel E. ShuU, Superin-
tendent of Schools of the City of Perth Amboy; Harry Cathers, John
F. D. Heineken, R. M. Fitch, librarians ; Thomas G. Van Kirk, recorder.
This library is now established in desirable rooms in the Free Public
Library on Livingston avenue. New Brunswick, containing over 3,000
volumes, with a librarian in attendance. New works are added yearly.
This library is considered one of the best teachers' libraries in the State
of New Jersey. The management of the library at present is as fol-
lows: H. Brewster Willis, president; Ira T. Chapman, Oscar O. Barr,
vice-presidents ; Thomas G. Van Kirk, secretary ; Samuel E. ShuU, treas-
urer ; John F. D. Heineken and Miss Kathryn A. Newmyer, librarian.
School Board Association — ^The Middlesex County School Board Asso-
ciation was organized twenty-four years ago; H. Brewster Willis was
elected president; John H. Wade, vice-president; William Carman, sec-
retary ; and Daniel W. Clayton, treasurer. The following persons were
present and became charter members of the Association, in addition to
the officers: Brognard Betts, Edward S. Hammell, John Evans, Ferdi-
nand E. Riva, William H. Clemmons, Welcome G. Clemmons, John H.
Kuhlthau, Manning Freeman, William Fitz Randolph, Aaron W. Deane,
George P. Smith, Charles W. Fisher, D. E. Lowrie, John C. Morris,
Rev. J. A. Trimmer and Wilson S. Frederick. The object of the Asso-
ciation was to meet the State and county school officials, consider public
school interests generally, and exchange views upon the administrative
and professional lines of school work. Several of the governors of the
State, all of the officers of the State Department, a considerable number
of State Senators and Assemblymen, together with the leading educators
of the State and from other States, have appeared before this organiza-
tion on important school matters.
This is the first organization of its kind in the State, and it is believed
the first of the kind in the country; its direct object being to prepare
School Board men for their responsible duties. At present the mem-
bership of this Association numbers two hundred, and the management
is under H. Brewster Willis, president ; Samuel E. Shull, Ira T. Chapman,
Oscar O. Barr, vice-presidents ; Daniel W. Clayton, treasurer ; William
Carman, secretary, and Thomas G. Van Kirk, assistant secretary. It is
rather noticeable that County Superintendent Willis, County Surrogate
Daniel W. Clayton and ex-Sheriff William Carman have continued for
a period of twenty-four years officials in this Association.
Supervising Principcis^ Association — ^The Supervising Principals'
Association was organized eighteen years ago with H. Brewster Willis,
County Superintendent, president; John F. D. Heineken, secretary;
Asbury Fountain, treasurer, together with Harry Cathers, Thomas G.
Van Kirk, J. N. Folwell, William Campbell, John H. Love, Russel M.
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224 MIDDLESEX
Fitch and others, at the Sewaren House, Woodbridge, in 1902. The
object of this organization was to prepare and enforce uniform courses
of study, rules and regulations for the government of schools, distribute
printed matter to pupils, teachers and parents, secure from the boards
of education the necessary district school stationery, and hear the leading
school men of the State on important school problems.
This organization at present has a membership of thirty supervising
principals, and has been an educational force in the school matters of
the county. The present officials of the Association are: H. Brewster
Willis, president; Samuel E. ShuU, Ira T. Chapman, Oscar O. Barr,
vice-presidents ; John F. D. Heineken, secretary ; Floyd L. Evans, assist-
ant secretary. This organization is the first of its kind to be established
in the State. Nearly all of the counties have now fallen in line.
District Teachers^ Association — In 1902 each of the borough and town-
ship school districts of the county organized a monthly teachers' meeting.
Each district was organized by a president, vice-president, secretary and
treasurer, with a distinct yearly program approved by the County Super-
intendent, and usually included special papers to be prepared by one or
more of the members, the review of a pedagogical work which had pre-
viously been assigned, an address from an outside school man, and a
class demonstration. The pedagogical works used by these associations
were secured at the Teachers' Library from the large number of writers
on theory and practice, history of education, school administration, psy-
chology, physical training, agriculture, manual arts, domestic science,
moral education, ethics and miscellaneous works.
At the close of the school year a report has been made by the presi-
dent and secretary of the work accomplished and filed the same in the
office of the County Superintendent These monthly meetings have
aflForded an opportunity for a demonstration of the best teaching in the
county, and created a sociability among the teachers, especially in the
rural sections. The high school commencement exercises, the elemen-
tary school closing exercises and the annual field day demonstrations
and exercises are under the control of these district organizations.
Parent-Teachers' Association — For some years Middlesex county has
had the benefit of the active work of a County Council Parent-Teachers'
Association, with local district associations. Very many of the substan-
tial improvements to school buildings and the ornamentation to the
school grounds are the result of the activity of the Parent-Teachers'
Association.
The officers of the County Council of Parent-Teachers' Association
are as follows: Mrs. Charles A. DeRussy, of Woodbridge, president;
Mrs. W. O. Whitney, of Highland Park, vice-president; Mrs. A. N.
Mullin, of Highland Park, secretary; Mrs. G. H. Boynton, of Wood-
bridge, corresponding secretary ; Mrs. George G. Johnson, of New Bruns-
wick, treasurer.
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PUBLIC EDUCATION 225
There is not a county in the State, where there is more professional
help for teachers than in Middlesex.
County Vocational Schools — ^At the regular meeting of the County
School Board Association held in the city of Perth Amboy, on the 31st
day of January, 1914, a resolution was passed instructing the president
of the Association, Mr. H. Brewster Willis, to appoint a committee of
five, of whom the County Superintendent should be one, to investigate
the necessity for and to consider the advisability of County Vocational
Schools, and to submit the findings of the committee in a report to this
Association, at an early date.
Mr. Willis appointed as members of this committee, Mr. A. Clayton
Clark, superintendent of the Raritan Copper Works, Perth Amboy;
Mr. Howard V. Buttler, president of the Buttler-Howell Co., New
Brunswick; Mr. Douglas J. Fisher, of the Sayre & Fisher Co., Sayre-
ville; Mr. John V. B. Wicoff, counsellor-at-law, Plainsboro. The com-
mittee made a thorough investigation of school and industrial condi-
tions in the county, and visited a number of vocational schools in this
and other States. This committee reported that 1,113 pupils had left
the schools of the county during the previous year, before they had com-
pleted the eighth year of work ; that these children were not prepared
for life work ; that out of sixty representative manufacturing industries
in the county, fifty-four were favorable to the establishment of voca-
tional schools. A definite recommendation was made to the effect that
County Vocational Schools should be established in Middlesex county.
The report of this committee was submitted to Hon. Peter F. Daly,
judge of the Court of Common Pleas, who appointed the same gentle-
men who had so ably served as an investigating committee, as members
of the Board of Education of the Vocational Schools. The members of
the newly appointed board organized as follows : Mr. A. Clayton Clark,
Perth Amboy, president ; Mr. Howard V. Buttler, New Brunswick, vice-
president; Mr. Douglas J. Fisher, Sayreville; Mr. John V. B. Wicoff,
Plainsboro; Mr. H. Brewster Willis, New Brunswick, secretary; Mr.
Thorfin Tait, Metuchen, treasurer, (all college men), on November 2,
1914.
The board made a very careful search throughout this State and
other states for a suitable man, in education and vocational experience,
to act as a County Director of Vocational Schools. Clifford E. Parsil,
assistant to James E. Dougan, headmaster of the Newark Boys' Voca-
tional School, was the unanimous choice of the county board, and his
successful administration for the past five years is the best evidence of
the fact that the board acted wisely in its selection.
Vocational School No. i, at New Brunswick, was opened in Septem-
ber, 191 5. A building on Guilden street, which had formerly been used
for public school purposes, was equipped with woodworking machinery
md— IS
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226 MIDDLESEX
and benches, a drafting room, and a room where the related academic
subjects could be taught. On opening day about thirty-five boys reported
for work, but before the first term was well under way there were but
two or three vacancies. The school at that time was equipped to accom-
modate fifty-four boys. In September, 1916, a printing department was
added to School No. i, and this increased the capacity to seventy-two
boys.
Within the past year the board has erected an up-to-date strictly
vocational school building, at an approximate cost of $120,000, with a
capacity for the industrial instruction to 150 boys. This building is
located on a very desirable site on Easton avenue, in the city of New
Brunswick, directly opposite to Buccleuh Park, where the boys have
the privilege of enjoying all the facilities of the park and the athletic
grounds. The building is equipped with most modem facilities, includ-
ing a spacious and well furnished auditorium, named after Hon. Peter
F. Daly, judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Middlesex county,
who has been such a staunch advocate of the County Vocational Schools,
and furnished by the donation of $1,500 from Mr. Joseph Hayden, of
Omaha, Nebraska, a friend to the school. Mr. Floyd S. Stein, principal,
is the head of the woodworking department ; Mr. Frank M. Tomer, head
of the drafting ; Mr. Alfred J. Cardinal and Mrs. Bertha L. SchaeflFer in
charge of the academic subjects; Mr. Morton H. Roby, head of the
printing, and Mr. William F. Van Pelt, head of the auto repair depart-
ment. The foundry and electrical departments will be opened in due
time.
The Guilden Street School property, since the opening of the new
school building in October, 19 19, has been used as a County Vocational
School for Girls, in which is taught practical dressmaking, practical cook-
ing, food values, food selection and purchasing, household accounts,
hygiene, home nursing, together with the academic branches. The direct
object of the school is to teach young girls all phases of American home
making. Miss Carolyn Argast, of Columbia College (principal), is head
of the practical dressmaking department ; Mrs. Alice B. Rose is in charge
of all phases of the cooking and food department, and Miss Elizabeth
Wallack is in charge of the academic department.
In September, 1916, County Vocational School for Boys, No. 2, was
opened in the city of Perth Amboy. The building was made of brick,
and especially constructed for the purpose. At this center a very large
and well equipped machine shop was established; mechanical drafting
and related academic subjects are taught, and instruction given in indus-
trial chemistry, requested. by and generously supported by the large
industries of the city maintaining chemical laboratories. This property
has recently been purchased by the board for $20,500. Mr. John M.
Shoe (principal), is at the head of the machine shop department; Mr.
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PUBLIC EDUCATION 227
Albert Gardner, drafting; Mr. Otto B. Durholtz, related academic sub-
jects ; Mr. Joseph Tatton, head of the department of industrial chemistry.
Plans and specifications have been prepared for an additional building
on the five unoccupied lots, adjoining the present school, at a cost not
to exceed $135,000. The County Board of Estimate has acted favorably
upon this building proposition.
In addition to the day courses for boys, the board has maintained
since 191 5 evening schools in three centers — ^the city of New Brunswick,
the city of Perth Amboy, and the city of South Amboy, in which about
800 men and women received instructions in carpentry, pattern making,
mechanical drafting, architectural drafting, show card writing, machine
shop practice, automobile repairing, shop mathematics, agriculture,
dressmaking, millinery and cooking.
The County Vocational Schools have graduated about fifty boys who
are holding their own in the industrial world.
In view of the critical condition of industry, Middlesex county may
justly feel proud of the vocational schools she owns and maintains for
the boys and the girls who have received elementary academic instruc-
tion and desire to prepare themselves for the industries. The demand
for vocational education is a widespread one, and is rooted in the social
and economic changes of the times.
The Boards of Chosen Freeholders have given substantial help in
the establishment of the County Vocational School system. The mem-
bers of the Board of Chosen Freeholders who made the appropriation
which made possible the organization of County Vocational Schools
were : A. J. Gebhardt, director. New Brunswick ; Andrew Ely, Dayton ;
William D. Casey, Roosevelt ; Alfred Kerr, South Amboy, and Theodore
Cohn, New Brunswick.
The members of the Board of Chosen Freeholders who voted the
appropriation to provide permanent buildings for the County Vocational
School in the city of Perth Amboy and in the city of New Brunswick
are: William S. Dey, director, South Amboy; Clarence M. Haight,
Dunellen; E. Leon Loblein, New Brunswick; Frederick Gebhardt, Sr.,
New Brunswick ; Louis J. Belloff, New Brunswick ; F. William Hilker,
Perth Amboy, and Christian Jorgensen, Perth Amboy.
For friendly help in the public school work during the past thirty-
three years, I am pleased to mention the State Department of Public
Instruction; the County Press; Rutgers College; the several school
organizations, and in the preparation of this brief sketch I am pleased to
acknowledge the aid of Mr. Clifford E. Parssil, Middlesex County
Director of Vocational Schools ; the Supervising Principals ; and Miss
Anna J. Lagerstedt, who has been the eflRcient secretary of the County
Superintendent for the past fourteen years.
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CHAPTER XXI.
"^THB PRESS.
It was to be expected that the first periodical published in Middle-
sex county would be issued from its first printing office, and this
occurred in 1758, when James Parker, who had established the first
office in the State, near what is now the corner of Perth Amboy avenue
and Grove street, in Woodbridge, issued the first number of "The New
American Magazine," published monthly for years and edited by Samuel
Nevill, of Perth Amboy, who wrote under the nom de plume of "Syl-
vanus Americanus.'* Each number was of forty pages octavo, and
contained a variety of instructive and entertaining matter. Mr. Parker,
to whom further and more complete reference is made in the chapter on
Woodbridge township, was a remarkable man, and, with Governor
Joseph Bloomfield and General Zebulon Montgomery Pike, were the
most prominent men in the history of the township of Woodbridge. He
published the second volume of "NevilPs Laws of New Jersey," and
established "The Gazette," in New Haven, the first newspaper in Con-
necticut. His most important contribution to history was made in 1765,
when he printed at Burlington, for Samuel Smith, the historian, the first
issue of the "History of New Jersey."
In 1866, James E. Berry commenced the publication of the weekly
"Woodbridge Gazette," and continued it for about two years, at the end
of which time he engaged in mercantile business in New York, and dis-
continued the publication. In the spring of 1876, Colonel Alfred W.
Jones, of Virginia, who had formerly been interested with Henry Farmer
in the publication of the "Middlesex County Democrat," at Perth Amboy,
established the weekly "Independent Hour" at Woodbridge, and con-
tinued its publication until 1879, when he removed to Virginia, and
Peter K. Edgar, who had been the local editor, purchased the paper and
published it until 1900, when he disposed of the property and the plant
was removed to Gloucester county.
Henry B. Rollinson, of the "Rahway Advocate," commenced the
publication of the "Woodbridge Register" in 1896, which was finally
merged in the "Woodbridge Leader," a weekly, owned by a syndicate,
and which is still published. Maxwell W. Logan, who had been oper-
ating a printing office for several years, issued the "Weekly Independent"
in 1919, and is still publishing it in connection with "The Mosquito,"
which he purchased from H. E. Pickersgill, of Perth Amboy.
The first newspaper published in New Brunswick, of which there is
any record, was the "Political Intelligencer and New Jersey Adver-
tiser," edited by Shepard Kollock, of Delaware, in 1783. In 1779, Kol-
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230 MIDDLESEX
lock, a lieutenant in Colonel John Lamb's artillery regiment, of the
Revolutionary army, started the "New Jersey Journal" at Chatham,
Morris county. Like many of his successors, Kollock had much trouble
in collecting from his subscribers, and offered to take in payment any-
thing from firewood to needles, and fresh country produce of every
description. He carried on a general store at Chatham, selling tea and
negro boys and girls, Bibles and rum, calicoes and hoes, "chocolat" and
turnips. At the close of the war in 1783, he removed to New Brunswick,
where until 1785 he published the above-mentioned paper in one of the
buildings belonging to Queen's (now Rutgers) College. He died in
Elizabeth in 1839, aged eighty-eight, after having acceptably filled many
offices of profit and trust in Union county. The paper was succeeded
in 1792 by "The Guardian and New Brunswick Advertiser," published
by Abraham Blauvelt, of Tappan, New York, and circulated for many
years in Middlesex, Somerset and Monmouth counties.
The "New Brunswick Fredonian" was established April 10, 181 1, by
James and David F. Randolph, brothers, of Piscataway township.
They were experienced printers, having served an apprenticeship in the
office of the "Alexandria (Virginia) Gazette." They were active in all
social, religious and political movements in the city, county and State.
From 1828 to 1832 James was a member of Congress and was the
father of Governor and United States Senator Theodore F. Randolph.
In 1854, John F. Babcock, of New York, who had been foreman of the
paper for two years, purchased the plant and added a daily edition. Mr.
Babcock was probably the most aggressive and influential editor the
county has ever known. A forcible and interesting writer, absolutely
fearless and progressive, his editorials always commanded respect and
caused comment, and were of the greatest value to his party. From the
first he became a prominent leader of the Republican party, was for
years secretary of the State Senate, and was one of the founders and
successively secretary and president of the State Editorial Association.
He disposed of the paper in 1886 to a syndicate, who renamed it "The
Press." After retiring from the editorship of "The Fredonian," Mr.
Babcock was for several years manager and instructor in the printing
office connected with the State School for Boys at Jamesburg.
The "New Brunswick Times and General Advertiser" was estab-
lished June I, 1815, by Deare & Myer, and a number of years later pur-
chased by Albert Speer, a prominent Democrat, and conducted by him
until his death in 1869. For a brief period, subsequent to 1846, he advo-
cated the Free-Soil principles, which induced Alphonso E. Gordon, of
Philadelphia, to start the "New Jersey Union" as a regular Democratic
organ in 1847, and the "Daily News" in 1851. In 1855, Mr. Speer
returned to the Democratic fold, and Mr. Gordon sold him his daily and
weekly and removed to Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1871 Mr. Gordon
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THE PRESS 231
purchased "The Times" and published it until 1890, when it passed into
the hands of a syndicate composed of Millard F. Ross, Judge J. Kearney
Rice, William H. Price, Oliver Kelly, W. Parker Runyon and Edwin W.
Furman.
In 1880, Hugh Boyd, a native of Bangor, Ireland, who for a number
of years was a compositor, reporter and city editor of "The Times,"
purchased from Albert L. Blue and Joseph Fischer, the "Home News,''
which had been established by them a few months before. Mr. Boyd's
success was rapid, and has been continuous. A man of untiring energy
and a bom journalist, he soon built up a flourishing printing business in
addition to the increased circulation of his daily and weekly papers. He
now publishes the daily and weekly "Home News," and the daily (on
Sundays) "Times." He also acquired the plants of both "The Free-
donian" and "Times." His career is a bright example to all ambitious
editors and printers.
Other publications which had an ephemeral existence in New Bruns-
wick were, with their editors and publishers, as follows: "The Mail,"
William H. Fiske; "The Mosquito," J. Morgan Macom; "Catholic Rec-
ord," E. J. McMurtry and Eugene A. Morris; "Watkin's Weekly,"
Charles A. Banks ; and the "Jeffersonian Magazine."
The "Perth Amboy Times" was published in 1858-59 by Augustus
Watters, of Newark, a poet of considerable reputation, who is still living.
This was antedated by "The Mirror," which existed for about one year.
In 1868 Colonel Alfred W. Jones and Henry Farmer, of Orange, founded
the "Middlesex County Democrat," which, after several changes, passed
about 1884 into the control of St. George Kempson, who also in 1892
began the publication of the "Middlesex County Herald," the first daily
published in the city.
In 1879, James L. and William H. Tooker, of Port Jefferson, New
York, issued the first number of the "Perth Amboy Republican," and
published it for many years until it passed into the control of Misses
Louise and Georgia Boynton, of Sewaren, and eventually was disposed
of to the present owners, Messrs. Runyon, Olmstead and Clevenger, who
changed the name to the "Evening News," and have recently erected a
large and handsome brick building on the comer of Madison avenue and
Jefferson street. Cortlandt L. Parker published "The Gazette," and
Wilbur La Roe and the late James L. Wight "The Chronicle," both
weeklies, for several years. Recorder H. E. Pickersgill, among his multi-
farious duties, still finds time to publish "The Jersey Mosquito."
George W. Burroughs began the publication of the "Cranbury Press"
in 1885. He has had much newspaper experience, and for several years
managed the "New Brunswick Fredonian." He publishes a neat and
interesting weekly, and has established a good printing business.
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232 MIDDLESEX
J. Eraser Kempson, a brother of St. George, published the "Metuchen
Inquirer" for a number of years, and was succeeded by "The Recorder,"
still published by Charles A. Prickitt.
Other journals published in the county are : The "Roosevelt News,"
Thomas Yorke ; the "South Amboy Citizen," M. N. Roll, and the "Dunel-
len Call," Publishing Company.
In preparing this brief sketch of "The Fourth Estate" in Middlesex
county, much of the data has been very difficult, and in some cases almost
impossible, to obtain, and we are much indebted in this regard to
Recorder H. E. Pickersgill and Mr. James L. Tooker, of Perth Amboy,
and Mr. John P. Wall, and Librarians Osborne and Graham, of the Rut-
gers College Library, New Brunswick. P. K. E.
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.pS^'^^^:.-^^
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COUUT HOUSE. NEW BRUNSWICK.
Showing: the "Maine" Monument.
MASONIC TEMPLE, NEW BliUNSWICK
SOLDIKIiS- AND SAILORS' MONUMENT, NEW BRUNSWICK
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CHAPTER XXIL
THE BENCH AND BAR.
Lawyers were in regular practice in this county at an earlier period
than in any other county in East Jersey, except Bergen. This may
be due to the fact that Perth Amboy, being intended as the capital of
the county, drew thither soon after its founding many men who had
studied law and politics in the schools of England and Scotland.
The first records of counselors being called in the county courts was
at the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, held in Perth Amboy in
September, 1708, when the names of Francis Sites, John Lofton and
Corse Froam, "counselors," were called. Thomas Gordon, of Pitlurg,
Scotland, who came to Perth Amboy with the first settlers in 1684, was
Chief Justice of the Province in 1709, Attorney-General in 1719, and
became a very prominent and useful citizen. In 1692 he was made
Judge of Probate, and in 1694 an officer of the customs, Perth Amboy
having been made a port of entry. He was the representative of the
county in the General Assembly from 1703 to 1709, and a portion of the
time speaker of the House. From 1710 to 1719 he was Receiver-General
and Treasurer of the Province.
Thomas Farmer came to Perth Amboy from Staten Island in 171 1,
and was made Chief Justice in 1728. Philip Kearny, bom in Monmouth
county, settled in Perth Amboy in 17 16, and was made secretary of the
Province, clerk of the Assembly and of the Court of Common Pleas in
1720. He practiced law in this and other counties for thirty-four years.
Cortlandt Skinner, of Perth Amboy, practiced in this and other counties
from 1742 until he left the country at the commencement of the Revolu-
tion. He was Attorney-General of the Province and speaker of the
General Assembly under the Crown, which position he continued to
occupy until 1775. He was a strong loyalist; but disapproved of the
arbitrary measures of the British ministry toward the Colonies, as
calculated to force them into an effort to secure their independence. In
consequence of a letter written to his brother in January, 1776, the
latter being an officer in the British army, the Continental Congress
ordered that he be arrested and kept in safe custody. He had, however,
taken refuge on an English man-of-war, and after the war went to Eng-
land, where he remained until the end of his life.
The first county court was held in Piscataway, June 19, 1683, by act
of the General Assembly, and by virtue of a commission published under
the seal of the Province and signed, by order of the Council, by Governor
Thomas Rudyard, dated March 28, 1683, the officers being as follows:
Samuel Dennis, president, or judge; assistants — Edward Slater, James
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234 MIDDLESEX
Giles, Captain John Bishop, Samuel Hall and Benjamin Hull. John
Pike, Jr., of Woodbridge, was made clerk, and GeoflFrcy Manning, mar-
shal, or crier. A single case was tried at the session, in which Slater,
one of the assistant judges, acted as bail for the defendant. We wonder
what our lawyers would say now if one of our judges should attempt to
follow the example of his predecessor in 1683.
The second court was held at Woodbridge on September 18 of the
same year ; and thereafter it continued to be held alternately at Piscata-
way and Woodbridge until June 28, 1688, when it is recorded to have
been held for the first time at Perth Amboy. From that time until 1699
the courts were held alternately at the three above-mentioned places.
There is a break in the records from 1699 till 1708, when it appears
that a "Court of Sessions for the County Middlesex and Somerset* was
held at Perth Amboy. For a long time after this date, courts were
held at Perth Amboy only, and the now separate counties were always
named conjoii tly in the record as one county, as in the above instance.
The above record is taken from a venerable parchment-bound manu-
script in the county clerk's office, containing the minutes of the county
court from its first session, June 19, 1683, to February 22, 1720. It is in
the original handwriting of the several county clerks — John Pike,
Edward Slate^ and others. The last eleven pages of the book is an
original recor^jOf the acts of the road commissioners appointed by the
General Assen/t>ly in 1704, and comprises a period from June 14, 1705,
to July 13, 1713.
New Brun>^wick is first mentioned in the records of our county
courts April 7, 1724, when two surveyors of roads and two constables
were appointed for it. Courts of Common Pleas for the county were
first held in New Brunswick in January, 1778, and a courthouse is first
mentioned in connection with the city on July 2, 1778, when "the Bar-
racks," on George street, near Paterson, where the soldiers of the
Revolution were quartered, were granted by the Legislature, to be used
until a suitable building could be erected. Prior to this, and as early
as May 21, 1717, there was a courthouse and jail at Perth Amboy. In
1794 the Barracks were burned, and the "Union," or Old City Hall, was
built and used as a courthouse until about 1840, when the present build-
ing was erected at a cost of about $30,000, with money obtained from the
State.
Lewis Morris, whose name appears as a lawyer at the county bar in
1742, was at that time Governor of the Province and resided in the
gubernatorial mansion at Perth Amboy. He was an eminent jurist,
and the first Governor appointed who was a native of the Province, and
was very popular with the people. He was also the first Governor who
was not also Governor of New York. In 1738 a royal commission
arrived from England for him as Governor of New Jersey, separate
from New York; he served until his death in 1746.
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THE BENCH AND BAR 235
Richard Stockton, of Princeton, then a part of this county, was a
judge of the Supreme Court before the Revolution, and a signer of the
Declaration of Independence. He was the ancestor of the famous family
of that name in the State. Robert Hunter Morris was Chief Justice
from 1738 until his death in 1764. His son Robert also resided in New
Brunswick, and was the first Chief Justice under the Constitution, having
been elected by the joint meeting of the Legislature in 1777. In 1790
President Washington appointed him judge of the United States District
Court for New Jersey, a position he occupied until his death in 1815.
Governor Joseph Bloomfield was bom at Woodbridge, in 1755, read
law with Cortlandt Skinner, and was admitted to the bar in 1776. In
1783 he was elected by the joint meeting Attorney-General, in 1801 was
elected Governor and for eight years thereafter reelected without oppo-
sition. He was also a gallant soldier in the Revolution.
Andrew Kirkpatrick was bom in Somerset county, in 1756, but
spent the greater part of his life in New Brunswick. He studied law
with Governor William Paterson, and was admitted in 1785. In 1803
he was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and served for
twenty-seven years, a longer period than any other judge except Isaac
Smith. James S. Nevius was bom in Somerset county, but practiced his
profession in New Brunswick. He served as a justice ''-f the Supreme
Court for fourteen years, and at the end of his second t rm removed to
Jersey City, where he died in 1859. George Wood wa-s bom in Bur-
lington county, read law with Judge Stockton, was admitted in 1812,
and commenced to practice in New Brunswick. He wsi probably one
of the ablest lawyers at the bar ; but his reputation is not confined to this
county and State. He removed to New York after a few years, and
was considered the equal of the best practitioners of the metropolis.
Joseph Warren Scott, son of Dr. Moses Scott, of New Brunswick, was
bom in 1779. He was a profound student of the law and an eloquent
advocate. He served in the war of 1812, and retired with a colonel's
commission. From 1844 until his death in 1871, he was president of the
New Jersey Society of the Cincinnati.
George P. Molleson was bom in New Brunswick in 1805, and was
prosecutor for one year, and Attorney-General from 1841-44.
Cortlandt Parker, son of James Parker, was bom in Perth Amboy,
in 181 8. He graduated at Rutgers College in 1836, read law with Hon.
Theodore Frelinghuysen, and was admitted to the bar in 1839. He
began practice in Newark, being associated with Joseph P. Bradley,
afterward justice of the United States Supreme Court, and Frederick
F. Frelinghuysen, later United States Senator and Secretary of State.
In 1857 Governor Newell appointed him prosecutor for Essex county,
a position he filled for ten years, and was the only public office he ever
accepted. He was generally acknowledged for many years to be the
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236 MIDDLESEX
head, and at his death was the oldest and most distinguished active
representative of the New Jersey bar. He declined nominations to
Congress, a judgeship in a court to adjust the Alabama Qaims, and the
ambassadorships to Russia and Austria. In connection with Chief
Justice Beasley and Judge Depue of the Supreme Court, he revised
the laws of the State. He received the degree of Doctor of Laws from
Princeton University and Rutgers College, and was president of the
American Bar Association for several years. He was a prominent mem-
ber of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and was one of their most trusted
and active legal advisers. His sons are: Major-General James Parker,
of the United States army; Congressman R. Wayne Parker; Supreme
Court Justice Charles W. Parker; Chauncey and Cortlandt Parker.
William H. Leupp was born in this county, and admitted to the bar
in 1827. He distinguished himself as an able advocate and lawyer, and
died after a successful career of nearly a half century. Henry V. Speer
was born in New Brunswick, graduated from Rutgers College, was
admitted to the bar in 1834, and up to the time of his death, in 1869,
was an active and brilliant advocate. He was Senator from 1856-58.
Joseph F. Randolph was admitted to the bar in 1825, and made a justice
of the Supreme Court in 1845. At the expiration of his term he returned
to New Brunswick and formed a partnership with ex-Mayor McDowell.
He died in Jersey City, in 1870.
The first trial held in the present courthouse was that of the State vs,
Peter Robinson for the murder of Abraham Suydam, president of the.
Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank of New Brunswick. John Van Dyke
was the prosecutor, assisted by Attorney-General Molleson, a brilliant
orator. Van Dyke was an eloquent and able advocate, especially in
presenting a case before a jury. He was the law partner of A. V.
Schenck for eight years, removed to Trenton in 1855, ^^^ letter was
appointed a justice of the Supreme Court. David Graham, the celebrated
criminal lawyer of New York, was counsel for the defense, and moved to
quash the indictment on the ground that it did not specify the degree
of murder, and cited a number of cases in the courts of the Southern
States. Chief Justice Homblower overruled the motion, remarking that
he did not think it necessary to go south of Mason and Dixon's line to
ascertain the law to settle the degrees of murder in New Jersey.
William B. Paterson, grandson of ex-Governor Paterson, was
admitted to the bar in 1806, was a member of the Constitutional Con-
vention of 1844, and the father of the late William Paterson, of Perth
Amboy. His son William was bom in Perth Amboy in 1817, graduated
from Princeton, and admitted to the bar in 1838. Between 1845 ^^^
1878 he was mayor of Perth Amboy for twelve years. In 1882 he was
a judge of the Court of Errors and Appeals and served from 1883-89.
He published a number of works, among which were "Poems of Twin-
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THE BENCH AND BAR 237
Graduates of Princeton," which were deservedly popular. John C.
Elmendorf was born near Somerville in 1814, He read law with Judge
Nevius, and in 1839 removed to New Brunswick, where he resided for
the remainder of his life. He was prosecutor for fifteen years, after
which he became a register in bankruptcy. Robert and Gamett B.
Adrain were sons of Professor Robert Adrain, a distinguished scholar
and mathematician, who came from Ireland in 1798 and was connected
successively with Columbia and Rutgers colleges. Robert was a suc-
cessful lawyer, and served a term as surrogate. Garnett read law with
his brother, was admitted to the bar in 1836, and became eminently
successful both as an advocate and counselor. He was recognized by
the bar as a legal light of the highest order, and a forcible, ready, witty
and eloquent speaker who had few equals in the State. He was a
member of Congress from 1857-61.
Abraham V. Schenck was bom in New Brunswick, in 1821, read law
with Henry V. Speer, was admitted to the bar in 1843 2i"d took part in
many of the most important causes in the county. He had the distinc-
tion, in the case of the State vs. Hart Moore, county collector, of obtain-
ing a favorable decision from the Court of Errors, reversing the action
of the lower courts. In this case the question arose whether the act
of the Legislature which extended the time of the prosecution of public
officers in the State from two to five years was an ex post facto law. Mr.
Schenck maintained that it was, and that it impaired the defendant's
.vested rights under the Constitution. Supreme Court Justice Scudder
overruled him, and he carried the judgment of conviction, by writ of error,
to the Supreme Court, where Chief Justice Beasley affirmed the judg-
ment of the court below ; but the Court of Errors and Appeals reversed
the judgments of the lower courts, and fully sustained Mr. Schenck.
This was one of the most important decisions in the State, and attracted
the attention of the leading journals of the country. The "Central Law
Journal," July 29, 1881, declared that Mr. Schenck's argument before
the Court of Errors was the ablest ever made in that court. He was
prosecutor of the pleas from 1871 to 1877, and during that time not a
single indictment was quashed, nor one of his convictions reversed, or
carried to a higher court for review.
Woodbridge Strong was born in Clinton, New York, and came to
New Brunswick when quite young. He graduated from Rutgers College,
read law with John Van Dyke, and practiced his profession in the city
during his entire life, except during 1849-1850, when he was in the
West, and from 1874-1879 and 1896-1905, when he was law judge. He
was an excellent lawyer, and made a very acceptable judge. A genial
and cultured gentleman, he was deservedly popular with the profession
and with the people. His sons, Alan H. and Theodore, became lawyers,
and were partners until the former was made general counsel for the
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238 MIDDLESEX
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and removed to Philadelphia. Theo-
dore remained in New Brunswick and succeeded his brother as local
counsel to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. He was Senator from
1901-3.
George Craig Ludlow, Governor from 1881-84, was bom in Milford,
Hunterdon county, in 1830. At the age of five years his parents
removed to New Brunswick, where he resided until his death. He read
law with William H. Leupp, and was a careful, able lawyer, and enjoyed
a lucrative practice. He was Senator from 1877-79, ^^^ president in
1878. He was a Supreme Court justice from 1895-1901. James M.
Chapman was bom in Perth Amboy in 1822 and read law with Judge
Elias Ogden. He practiced principally in New York. He was mayor of
Perth Amboy in 1869-70. Willard T. Voorhees was bom in New Bruns-
wick in 185 1, read law with Judge Strong, and had a large practice until
appointed Supreme Court Justice in 1908; he died in office in 1914.
Captain James Parker, a nephew of Cortlandt Parker, was bom in
Newark, Ohio, and graduated at the United States Naval Academy in
1852, but resigned, studied law, and was admitted to the Ohio bar in
1857. In 1861 he rejoined the navy, served throughout the Civil War,
and retired with the rank of lieutenant-commander. In 1891 he became
a member of the county bar, made his residence in Perth Amboy, and
practiced during the remainder of his life. John W. Beekman was bom
in Somerset county in 1846, and admitted to the bar in 1875. He was
city attorney of Perth Amboy from 1877-95 and made District Court
judge in 1909. He was an Assemblyman from 1891-93, and appointed
United States District Attorney for New Jersey in 1894, and resigned
in 1896. James H. Van Cleef was born in Somerset county in 1841, and
admitted to the bar in 1867. He was for several years counsel to the
Board of Freeholders, and corporation attorney for New Brunswick.
From 1898-1900 he was Senator, and for several terms mayor of the city.
Charles T. Cowenhoven was born in New Brunswick, read law with
A. V. Schenck, and was admitted to the bar in 1865. He was the first
law judge of the Common Pleas, and was appointed in 1869 and again
in 1885. His successors have been Woodbridge Strong, Andrew Cogs-
well, J. Kearny Rice, Theodore B. Booraem, Adrian Lyon and Peter F.
Daly. The records previous to 1862, as to the prosecutors, have been
kept in such manner that it is difficult to obtain accurate information.
John C. Elmendorf served from 1847 to 1857; George A. Vroom, 1857-62;
and Elmendorf, 1862-67. Since then the appointees have been Charles
B. Herbert, Abraham V. Schenck, C. T. Cowenhoven, J. Keamy Rice,
Robert Adrain, John S. Voorhees, George Berdine, Theodore B. Boo-
raem, George S. Silzer, William E. Florence and Joseph E. Strieker.
J. Kearny was bom in Washington, D. C, in 1849, read law with
Judge Strong and was admitted in 1876. From 1882-90 he was prose-
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THE BENCH AND BAR 239
cutor, was made law judge in 1890 and United States District Attorney
in 1896. Theodore B. Booraem was born in New Brunswick in 1861,
read law with A. V. Schenck, was law judge from 1901 to 1909, and
prosecutor from 1909-12. Adrian Lyon was bom in Pluckamin in 1869,
read law with James S. Wight, and was admitted to the bar in 1892.
He was assemblyman 1899-1900, law judge 1909-1910, judge of District
Court of Perth Amboy 1901-10. Since 1899 he has been president of
the Perth Amboy Savings Institution, and for many years registrar
of the Board of Proprietors of East Jersey. Robert Adrain, son of Gar-
nett B. Adrain, was born in New Brunswick in 1853, read law with his
father, and was admitted to the bar in 1876. He was prosecutor from
1890-1896, and appointed other years ad interim. He was Senator from
1889-94, and president 1891-93. John S. Voorhees was born in Somerset
county in 1855, read law with his uncle, Frederick Voorhees, and
admitted to the bar in 1879; he was prosecutor from 1896 to 1904. Peter
F. Daly was bom in New York, in 1867, and the family removed to
New Brunswick in his boyhood. He read law with James H. Van Cleef,
and was admitted to the bar in 1888. He was deputy surrogate from
1892-1902, and surrogate from 1902-12. He was appointed law judge
in 191 1, and reappointed in 1916. George S. Silzer was bom in New
Brunswick, in 1870, read law with Judge Rice, was admitted to the bar
in 1892, was made prosecutor in 1912, and Circuit Court judge in 1914.
He was Senator from 1907-13. His circuit consists of Passaic, Union,
Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties. William E. Florence was bom
in New Brunswick in 1865, read law with Judge Willard Voorhees, was
admitted to the bar in 1887, was prosecutor from 1914-16, and Senator
from 1917-1919. Joseph E. Strieker was born in Witting^u, Bohemia,
in 1870, read law with Wallis, Bumsted & Edwards, attended the New
York Law School, and was admitted to the bar in 1897. He was made
assistant prosecutor in 1912, and appointed prosecutor in 1916.
Charles C. Hommann was bom in Wisconsin, in 185 1, read law with
Charles Morgan, of South Amboy, and was admitted to the bar in 1880.
He was corporation attorney of Perth Amboy for several years, and was
appointed District Court judge for Perth Amboy in 191 5, and reap-
pointed in 1920. H. Brewster Willis was born in this county, and was
admitted to the bar in 1881. He has been counsel to the Board of Free-
holders, and for over thirty years county superintendent of the Board
of Education. Ephraim Cutler was bom in Woodbridge in 1854, gradu-
ated from Rutgers College, read law with Andrew Dutcher and Magie &
Cross, and was admitted to the bar in 1877. He was a member of the
township committee from 1884-89, and for three years its chairman;
assemblyman 1888-89, counsel for several years of the township com-
mittee, and president of the Board of Education. Frederick Weigel
was born in New Bmnswick, in 1859, read law with Senator Adrain, and
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240 MIDDLESEX
was admitted to the bar in 1883. He has been corporation attorney for
many years. James S. Wight was born in Warren county in 1859,
read law with Bedle, Muirheid & McGee, and was admitted to the bar
in 1883. He was city clerk and attorney for Perth Amboy for many
years. His son, Andrew J., was born in Perth Amboy in 1886, studied
with his father, and was admitted to the bar in 1907 ; he was an Assem-
blyman in 1918. Joseph H. Thayer Martin was bom in Woodbridgc,
graduated from Harvard University and its Law School, and was
admitted to the bar in 1899. He is a partner of ex-Judge Guild, of
Newark: he was an Assemblyman in 1904-1905, and is counsel for the
Woodbridge Township Committee.
Freeman Woodbridge was born in Saratoga, New York, in 1866, read
law with Judge Strong & Sons, and was admitted to the bar in 1892.
He was appointed judge of the District Court of New Brunswick in 191 1
and still. holds that position. For many years he has been a member
of the Board of Managers of the New Jersey Reformatory. Edward W.
Hicks was born in New Brunswick in 1868, read law with John S. Voor-
hees, and was admitted to the bar in 1890. He was an Assemblyman
in 1894-5, and judge of the District Court of New Brunswick from
1901-11. Alfred S. March was born in New Brunswick in 1876, read
law with Van Cleef, Daly & Woodbridgc, and was admitted to the bar
in 1900. In 1907 he formed a partnership with his brother-in-law. Judge
Freeman Woodbridge, which continued until 191 1, when the latter was
made District Court judge. He has been a member of the Board of
Aldermen, and in 1917 was appointed a member of the Public Utility
Commissioners, from which he resigned last year. Schuyler C. Van
Cleef was born in New Brunswick in 1873, read law with his father.
Senator Van Cleef, and was admitted to the bar in 1900. Thomas Brown
was born in England, in 1877, while his parents were sojourning in
that country. He was brought to this country, and has always resided
in this county. He graduated from the New York Law School in 1905,
and was admitted to the bar in 1907. He was elected Senator in 1918
by a plurality of 1,378 over James A. Edgar. Last year he served on
the committees on highways, municipal corporations, riparian rights,
taxation, New Jersey Reformatory, Soldiers' Home, Epileptic Village,
and Industrial School for Colored Youths.
Frederick W. De Voe was born at Old Bridge, in 1889, attended the
New York Law School, and was admitted to the bar in 191 5. He
resides at Milltown, with an office in New Brunswick. He was elected
to the Assembly 1918-19. C. Raymond Lyons was bom in New Bruns-
wick in 1894, graduated from Fordham University in 1916, and was
admitted to the bar 1917 ; he was elected to the Assembly in 1919.
A number of eminent jurists have presided in the Middlesex
Circuit, and none more so than Judge Vredenbergh, of Freehold, of
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THE BENCH AND BAR
241
whom it was said that his charge to the jury in criminal cases was more
dreaded by the counsel for the defense than the arguments of their
opponents. An amusing story is told of one of our circuit judges in the
old days, who was very arbitrary in his rulings, and often aroused the
ire of the lawyers. Upon one occasion a counselor, being much exas-
perated by the judge's course, suddenly seized his books and papers,
strode wrathfuUy toward the door and had just reached it, when the
judge loudly exclaimed: "Stop, sir!" The counselor obeyed, and His
Honor continued: "Are you trying to show your contempt for this
court?" Sweeping him a low bow, the lawyer replied: "Oh, no, sir; I am
only trying to conceal it."
M!^i
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CHAPTER XXIII.
THB MEDICAL FRATERNITY.
As the smoke of the battle is disappearing and the echoes of the
terrible Worid War are dying out, men are looking backward, reviewing
the past and drawing helpful lessons for a better and more prosperous
future. We are taking great pride in the part America played in the
war and we are not ashamed of the record the medical profession
played. We are conscious of the fact that New Jersey and Middlesex
County were not slack in making full contributions to the vast amount
of sacrifice of time, money and life that resulted in the achievement of
victory. But we take no superficial view by confining our thought and
investigation to the recent past as we estimate the valor of our troops
and the devotion and efficiency of our surgeons and set high estimates
on their bravery and their persistency. It is not a matter of mere coin-
cidence that as we are contemplating and drawing lessons from the
recent war, that following that war so closely our minds have been
occupied, stirred and thrilled by the contemplation of the Landing of
the Pilgrim Fathers on our shores three hundred years ago. As we
have thought of their heroic deeds and sacrifices that demonstrated
the nobility of their characters and their sublime and persistent devotion
to truth and righteousness, we are led irresistibly to that wider, fuller,
more comprehensive view that takes in the three centuries of the past
and to give proper consideration to the influences of bygone generations
that have given to the American manhood of today the stamp of char-
acter that has made possible noble living and great achievements. The
Pilgrim Fathers laid the foundation for America's greatness. We feel
justified in taking a very brief portion of the allotted small space to
query whether the medical profession does not owe much to one member
of that noble band, as will further appear.
Dr. Charles Howard Bangs, in the "Boston Medical and Surgi-
cal Journal" of December, 1920, gives an interesting account of Samuel
Fuller, the Pilgrims' Doctor — the first doctor in the Colonies of whom
we have any record — ^who came with the Pilgrims in the Mayflower.
Dr. Bangs says : "He ministered not only to the Pilgrims and the natives,
but was also called upon to render medical assistance among the Puri-
tans as well. At the call of humanity, wherever his services were needed,
he performed the duties of his profession from Cape Cod to Cape Ann,
serving from 1620 until his death in 1633. * * He earned the title of First
Resident Physician of New England, ministering to the spiritual as
well as the bodily needs of all the colonists, endearing himself to all
by his professional ability and by his upright life. Governor Endicott
of the Massachusetts Bay Colony wrote to Governor Bradford highly
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244 MIDDLESEX
commending Dr. Fuller for the great services he had rendered. He was
a man of decided usefulness in the business affairs of the Colony ; was
the eighth signer of the Mayflower Compact. He was an ideal physician."
We have digressed from our subject to cite his life and work because the
early physicians of Middlesex County — ^like McKean, Cochran, Bloom-
field, Scott and others had much of his character and devotion to duty.
No attempt will be made to give a lengthy detailed account of the
conditions existing in East Jersey in the seventeenth and early eighteenth
centuries. Quacks abounded in the Colonies and Middlesex County bad
its full share of them.
Dr. Shrady, in his "History of the College of Physicians and Sur-
geons, of New York City," refers to barbers as surgeons in New York
— ^then New Amsterdam — says that in February, 1652 : "On the petition
of the Chirurgeons of New Amsterdam, none but they be allowed to
shave, the Director General and Council understanding that shaving
doth not appertain exclusively to Chirurgcry, but is an appendix there-
unto; that no man can be prevented operating upon himself, nor to do
another this friendly act provided it be through courtesy, and not for
gain, which is hereby fori)idden." It was added, "Ship Barbers shall
not be allowed to dress wounds nor administer any potions on shore
without the previous knowledge and special consent of the Petitioners,
or at least of Johannes La Montague." Dr. Shrady refers that those
petitioners were Hans Kierstede, Jacob H. Verrevanger and Jacob
L'Oragne — the only surgeons then known to be in New Amsterdam.
It is an interesting fact Dr. Shrady records — ^that a descendant of Hans
Kierstede, Christopher Kierstede, graduated from the Albany Medical
College in 1846, practiced in New York and vicinity over half a century
and died at his home in Jersey City, N. J., January 23, 1903, aged 81
years.
Whitehead in his contributions to the "History of Amboy," cites
the following: "Charles Gordon of Woodbridge, writing to his brother.
Dr. John Gordon, March 7, 1685, after describing the salubrity of the
climate, said : *If you design to come hither yourself, you may come as
a planter, or as a merchant, or as a doctor of medicine. I cannot advise
you, as I can hear of no diseases here to cure, but some agues, and some
cutted fingers and legs, but there are no want of empiricks for these
already abound. I confess that you could do more than any yet in
America, being versed in Chirurgery and Pharmacie, for here are abun-
dance of herbs, shrubs and trees and no doubt medicinell ones for making
drugs, but there is no Imployment this way.' " Yet there is definite rec-
ord of the prevalence of malarial fevers, smallpox, venereal disease,
yellow fever and epidemics of "Throat Distemper," at different times
from 1638 to 1736.
Again, in the "New York Gazette," January 18, 1732, it is stated
"The smallpox spreads very much in this Province and in New Jersey,
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THE MEDICAL FRATERNITY 245
also at Amboy, New Brunswick and Thereaway. Many have been
inoculated and not one of them have died, but have had the distemper
very easy." That was true of smallpox a little later when Dr. John
Cochran, one of the most eminent physicians of New Brunswick, rented
a house there — ^three miles from the center of the town — ^in which during
the winter and spring of 1774-S he inoculated 400 persons, without a
death occurring. Kaim in 1748 and Wintcrbottom in 1796 say that
women constituted the greater number that administered medicine.
Smith, in his ''History of New York," says: "Few physicians are eminent
for their skill. Quacks abound like the locusts of Egypt. * * The pro-
fession is under no kind of regulation."
Doubtless an advance in medicine in New Jersey occurred during
the French and English War, 1758-1766. Dr. Toner's "Medical Progress"
says: "The war gave, perhaps the first material improvement to the
condition of medicine in America. The English army was accompanied
by a highly respectable medical staff, most of whom landed in New
York and continued for some years in the neighboring territory, afford-
ing to many young Americans opportunity of attending military hospi-
tals and receiving professional instruction." That was the case in
New Jersey and notably in Middlesex County. The Port of Perth
Amboy was one of the best in the country and that city was one of
the favorite gathering places of medical men, as Dr. John Lawrence,
referred to elsewhere, used to say, that his residence in Amboy in those
early days "was the happiest part of his life, for the reason that the
officers of the Crown, resident there, formed a social circle superior to
that of New York or Philadelphia." New Brunswick had a reputation
somewhat similar, especially during the years 1774-79 when the Barracks
built there housed may hundreds of the English troops. The earliest
physicians in Middlesex county of whom our records speak were :
1, Henry Greenland, of New Brunswick, was the first physician in
Middlesex County of which there is any reliable record. He lived in
Newbury, Massachusetts, in 1662 and in Kittery from 1665-1672. He
had a good education and was an able physician, but passionate and being
a Royalist he became involved in many quarrels with the Puritans, which
caused him to leave the Province and he came to East Jersey about
1675 and settled at "The River," as New Brunswick was then called.
He practiced here to a very limited extent; kept a tavern on or about
the site of the R. W. Johnson residence on the east bank of the Rari-
tan ; he was the captain of the Piscataway military company organized
for protection against the Indians.
2. John Johnstone was born in Edinburgh in 1661 ; came to this
country about 1685; first practiced in New York; removed to Perth
Amboy in 1706. In 1709-10 he was a member of the Provincial Assembly
of New Jersey, Soon after he returned to New York and served as Mayor
of the city from 1714-1718; but he returned to Amboy and thereafter re-
sided there. He represented Middlesex County in the General Assembly
of the Province thirteen years, during ten of which he held the office of
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246 MIDDLESEX
Speaker. He was one of the Commissioners appointed to settle the
boundaiy line between New York and New Jersey. He died September
7, 1732. The Philadelphia Weekly Mercury in an obituary notice of him
said that ''he died very much lamented by all who knew him, and to
the unexpressible loss of the poor who were always his particular care."
He was a very skilled physician and a man of estimable character and
abounding charity.
3. Lewis Johnstone, a son of John, was born in 1704; he adopted
his father's profession ; went to Leyden, Holland, for his medical educa-
tion ; returned to this country and practiced medicine in Perth Amboy.
He was ''a physician of highest reputation by all who knew him. He
held a high place in the respect and confidence of his associates in the
profession." He died November 22, 1773 ; left a very large estate. He had
immense tracts of land in New Jersey.
4. George Lockhart, of whom there is little known. He was a
resident of Woodbridge ; a "practitioner of physic," in 1689. Dr. Wickes
in his History of Medicine says that in 1683, he then being in England
"the Proprietaries mention him as possessing, according to his own
statement, a considerable plantation in the Province, and 'desirous of
having the Marshall's place,' he oflfering in case they would grant him
the commission and a lot of ten acres in Terthtown,' to build them a
prison and town house." There is no record of the commission.
5. Adam Hay was a resident of Woodbridge as early as 1737, of
whom little is known. In 1739 ^^ was one of the vestrymen of St.
Peter's Episcopal Church at rerth Amboy. His will — Adam Hay
"Doctor of Physick" of Woodbridge, was dated November 12, 1739.
6. William Farquhar, moved from New York to New Brunswick,
where he is known to have resided before 1740, for about ten years. He
then returned to New York. He married here a daughter of Thomas
Farmer, who was one of the Provincial Justices of the Supreme Court and
who represented Middlesex in the General Assembly from 1740-43.
After the death of his wife, Dr. Farquhar married a daughter of Gov-
ernor Colden of New York.
7. John Van Beuren is known to have lived in New Brunswick as
early as 1741 as in that year it is on record that Philip French leased to
"John Van Beuren of the said city — Chirurgeon," some property.
8. Hezekiah Stites of Cranbury, and —
9. Robert McKean, of Perth Amboy, biographical notes of both
will appear later.
10. Henry Dongan, was a Surgeon's Mate ; he had charge of 300 or
400 of the English Troops, quartered in the Barracks that were built in
New Brunswick in 1758. When the troops left New Brunswick, he
remained and practiced medicine. In his advertisement announcing his
practice he stated that he had had thirteen years practice in the army.
He joined the Medical Society of New Jersey, May 10, 1774.
11. Alexander Ross, practiced medicine in New Brunswick, he was
originally from Scotland ; later from the Island of Jamaica. He resided
at "Ross Hall" on the east bank of the Raritan; probably actively
engaged in his profession, as he had at least one student who subse-
quently practiced in that city. Dr. C. A. Howard, referred to later, who
subsequent to Dr. Ross' death married his widow, who was a daughter
of Thomas Farmer, one of New Brunswick's most prominent justices
and Assembly representatives.
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THE MEDICAL FRATERNITY 247
12. Nehemiah Ludlum was one of the earliest physicians in Cran-
bury. He graduated in Princeton in 1762. In 1768 he joined the Medi-
cal Society of New Jersey, but died on October 28 of that year. The
inscription on his tomb says he was 29 years of age at death.
13. John Griffith of Rahway, and —
14. Thomas Wiggins of Princeton, referred to later — Rahway and
Princeton were then in Middlesex County.
These men, and doubtless others of whom we have no record were
able, conscientious devoted practitioners, most of whom had lofty con-
ceptions of their profession's future possibilities in the service of human-
ity that led them to consider how they could best unite the profession
and thereby become better qualified to practice their high and holy
calling. Thomas F. Gordon, in his "Gazetteer and History of New Jer-
sey," published in 1834 says : "No portion of the history of this great
country is more filled with cause for grateful exaltation than the State
of New Jersey — none can boast greater purity in its organization — ^none
more wisdom, more happiness in its growth." That is true, and when
the medical part of that history is considered, there is abundant cause
to be proud of the contribution that the members of the medical pro-
fession within the bounds of Middlesex County made in initiating and
establishing a State-wide organization of the medical profession thereby
making possible the development and wonderful growth of the science
and art of medicine, as other States have followed New Jersey's example
until all the States and territories have now their organizations, and has
led in these later years and made vast progress in the development of that
great branch of its activities which is the profession's glory — Preventive
Medicine — ^which has for its object the eradication of all preventable
disease — the profession sacrificing its material interests in the blessing of
humanity.
The organization of the Medical Society of New Jersey was con-
ceived by the physicians of Middlesex County — Drs. Kean, Cochran and
Bloomfield — who enlisting a dozen others in that and the adjoining
counties issued the call for the memorable meeting at New Brunswick
on July 23, 1766. That call was inserted in the "New York Mercury" and
was as follows :
A certain number of practitioners of physic and surgery in East New
Jersey, having agreed to form a Society for their mutual improvement,
the advancement of the profession and promotion of the public good,
and desirous of extending as much as possible the usefulness of their
scheme, and cultivating the utmost harmony and friendship with their
brethren, hereby request and invite every gentleman of the profession
in the Province, that may approve of their design, to attend their first
meeting, which will be held at Mr. Duff's, in the City of New Bruns-
wick, on Wednesday, the 23d of July, at which time and place the Con-
stitution and Regulations of the Society are to be settled and subscribed.
East New Jersey, June 27, 1766.
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248 MIDDLESEX
Seventeen practitioners, mainly of Middlesex, Somerset and what is
now Union counties, met on the appointed day and adopted "Instru-
ments of Association and Constitutions of the New Jersey Medical
Society," which was a model document showing the need of such united
association and the methods of securing efficiency for attaining its three-
fold object — Mutual Improvement, Advancement of the Profession,
Promotion of the Public Good. This document was signed by: Bern
Budd, John Griffith, John Cochran, James Gilliland, Thomas Wiggins,
Robt. McKean, Chris. Manlove, Moses Bloomfield, Wm. Burnet, Law-
rence V. Derveer, Isaac Harris, Joseph Sackett, Jr., Jona. Dayton, Wil-
liam Adams.
On the same day the Society elected Dr. Robert McKean president;
Chris. Manlove, secretary, and John Cochran, treasurer — the first and
last named were Middlesex county physicians. In addition to the 14
above signers appear as present Drs. Pezant, Blatchley and Camp.
Then began the history of one of the greatest events that has occurred
in Middlesex county or in the State of New Jersey. It is impossible to
rehearse even briefly the record of that Society, the results of its work on
the State and Nation. To do so would require the tracing of all the influ-
ence that has flowed from that one day's meeting if we would know all.
All that the Society enabled its originators and those who came after
them to do, or the better to do, in saving human life and in relieving
the sufferings of men never can be fully estimated. The facts that
should be stated are: (i) That the Society's records show that the last
one of the three objects for which it was created — ^The Public Good —
has been its chief concern and that the other two objects have been
largely contributory thereto; (2) That the Middlesex County Society's
members have contributed their full share in its work and have been
honored with official positions in its management to an unusual degree,
serving in office as follows :
President — Robert McKean, 1766; John Cochran, 1768; Thomas Wig-
gins,^ 1774 ; Hezekiah Stites, 1775 ; John Beatty,^ 1782 ; Moses Bloomfield,
1785; Moses Scott, 1789; John Griffith, 1790; Lewis Dunham, 1791, 1816;
Isaac Harris, 1792; Lewis Morgan,^ 1809; Charles Smith, 181 1; John
Van Cleve, 1815, 1818; Augustus R. Taylor, 1822, 1830; E. F. R. Smith,
1832; J. T. B. Skillman, 1S47; Ezra M. Hunt, 1864; Henry R. Baldwin,
1878 ; David C. English, 1897.
Vice-President — Enoch Wilson, 1816; Jacob Dunham, 1826; George
McLean,* 1839; Ezra M. Hunt, 1861-63; Henry R. Baldwin, 1875-77;
D. C. English, 1894-96.
Corresponding Secretary — William Van Deursen, 1822-26; Aug. R.
Taylor, 1844-5.
Recording Secretary — John Van Cleve,* 1820-23 ; William Van Deur-
sen, 1827.
Treasurer — Ephraim F. R. Smith, 1818-30; Henry R. Baldwin, 1865-
1873.
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THE MEDICAL FRATERNITY 249
Stanerfng Committee — Chairmen — Aug. R. Taylor, 1824, 1827;
Charles Smith, 1826, 1834; William Van Deursen, 1830; J. T. B. Skillman,
1842 ; D. C. English, 1891-93. Three years, all three members of it were
Middlesex men; and members from that county have served on it for
more than 134 years of its existence ; it was instituted at the May 9, 1820,
meeting.
The Monthly Journal of the Society was begun in 1904; since 1906,
Dr. D. C. English of Middlesex has been and still is its editor. There
is one example of many that might be cited of the work of Middlesex
County members — that of Ezra M. Hunt, who for six years led the fight
before Governors and legislators for a State Board of Health until in
1877 victory crowned his, his fellow workers' and the Society's earnest
eflForts.
About one quarter of the State Society's ninety-one members up
to the year 1796, and of the additional fifty-five members from 1796 to
1818 were Middlesex County physicians, so that while the practitioners
of that county were not organized as a county society until 1816, it is
a question whether they might. not claim that they were organized in
1766 in a far wider sphere of activity than they could have exerted if
their field had been confined to the limits of that county. But in 1816
the Society secured the passage of a new Act to Incorporate the Medical
Society of New Jersey, passed at Trenton, February 16, 1816, which
authorized the reorganization of the State Society and provided that its
annual meeting thereafter should be constituted by delegations from the
District or County Societies which were to be formed, under the pro-
visions of that Act.
A meetin^e of the State Society was held May 7, 1816, when Dr. John
Van Cleve was chosen chairman and a Board of Fifteen Managers was
elected — ten of whom were from Middlesex County and they elected
the Society's officers as follows: President, Lewis Dunham; vice-presi-
dent, Enoch Wilson ; treasurer, E. F. R. Smith ; corresponding secretary,
Aug. R. Taylor; recording secretary, Wm. McKissack — ^four of the five
Middlesex physicians. Five County or District Societies ordered to be
formed and Drs. Jacob and Lewis Dunham, E. Wilson, M. Freeman,
Charles Smith, Nath. Manning, R. T. Lott and John Van Cleve were ap-
pointed to organize Middlesex, which they did in New Brunswick on June
13, 1816, and at the State Society meeting May 12, 1818, its first delegation
was received. The splendid history of this County Society cannot be
rehearsed in any detail, its early records are reported lost or mislaid,
nor is it necessary ; the fact should be emphasized that the all-important,
essential basis of a medical society's value, its greatness and its influ-
ence is not because of its perfect, well-oiled machinery, but in the char-
acter and devotion of the men who compose its membership. The major
part of the balance of this will refer to some of the societies and organiza-
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250 MIDDLESEX
tions they founded for the public good, and also a few brief biographical
sketches of the men.
It should be observed, however, that the eflFect of the new law
organizing county societies was remarkably beneficial to the State and
County Societies' growth and prosperity. The State Society's member-
ship increased from a few scores to 400 in the sixties, to 898 in 1900 and
in 1921 to over 2,200, the County Society from about a dozen members
when organized, to 40 in 1904 and 86 in 1921. It is believed that the
publishing of the monthly Journal by the State Society — in place of the
annual volume of "Transactions," contributed largely to the increase.
Another fact is to be noted — members were received by both societies
with great care. The proper preliminary as well as medical education
as essential qualifications for licensure was insisted on. The creation
of the State Board of Medical Examiners by the legislature in 1890 has
been of service, as they are specifically required by the law to license
only those who have the prescribed educational qualifications. Since the
creation of that Board 2,730 applicants have taken the examination and
440 were rejected. During the year 1920, 43 were examined, one of
whom failed and one was expelled. It should be remembered that there
were no medical colleges in the United States until 1769 when King's
College established one and about the same time there was one in
Philadelphia, and it is a matter of special interest that Middlesex County
came very near to having two medical colleges. Queen's, now Rutgers,
did have one, and Princeton, then within the bounds of Middlesex
County, made two attempts and in the second would probably have suc-
ceeded had not the eminent Dr. John Van Cleve — on whom they de-
pended, died. Queen's did organize three times under the eflForts of Dr.
Nicholas Romayne, with its school located in New York City, but
because of opposition from New York finally abandoned the medical
school. It actually granted 79 degrees as follows: 1792 three of Med.
Bac. — one of them being Dr. Charles Smith of New Brunswick — ^and four
honorary degrees of M. D.; in 1793, six degrees of M. D. and two hon-
orary degrees ; then in the second attempt, in 1812, five degrees of M. D. ;
in 1813, one degree of M. D.; 1814, two M. D.'s; 181 5, seven M. D.'s;
1816, six M. D.'s. On the third attempt — in 1827, were conferred 27
M. D.'s and nine honorary M. D.'s; 1830, honorary degree of M. D. on
two and in 1831 two more honorary M. D.'s; in 1832 two M. D.'s and in
1835 one honorary M. D. Solomon Andrews of Perth Amboy was one
of the number who received the degree of M. D. in 1827.
The loss or misplacement of records by their custodians has com-
pelled the author of this article to give an utterly inadequate report of
the work of the Middlesex physicians of the past. The data that fol-
lows of organized work, mainly of the recent past and the brief bio-
graphical notes concerning many of the workers, will give some slight
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THE MEDICAL FRATERNITY 251
conception of the magnitude of that work. The biographies will partially
show that the Middlesex physicians were not only able men devoted to
the profession, but they were also patriots serving their country in times
of war, in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and the great World
War especially. (General Washington had no abler surgeons whom he
more appreciated than Drs. Moses Scott and John Cochran of New
Brunswick). In civic life the same devotion was manifested by service
as mayors (New Brunswick had four of the best in her city's record),
in City Councils, in educational institutions, in various public health,
public welfare and civic righteousness movements. And their contri-
butions in the promotion of the religious life in their various communi-
ties was marked by service as elders, deacons, trustees and otherwise
that showed them to be mindful of the fact that they were worthy
members of a high and holy calling — ^worthy followers of the Pilgrims*
"Good Doctor Fuller," as he was called.
It is impossible for the mind to conceive, certainly of the pen to
describe, the full results of the two meetings held in New Brunswick on
July 23, 1766 and June 13, 1816. We refer in brief outline without
comment, to a few of the results following those meetings : The organ-
ization of County and City medical societies, insane asylums, hospitals,
dispensaries, infirmaries, sanitary associations, the State Board of Health
and the various local boards, now in every city, town and township, with
their health officers, medical school inspectors, clinics, etc., doing an
immense amount of charity work for the public good ; then, as we glance
beyond the confines of the State, New Jersey appears as the Parent
Society, leading other States in the establishment of such societies until
now every State and Territory has its society, and from these have come
the American Medical Association, the Pan-American Association, the
Educational Medical Congress, the American Public Health Association,
the College of Surgeons and other societies scattered throughout the
land, whose members are devoting their time and efforts, as specialists
in the various departments of medical, surgical, obstetrical and other
branches of science, in the advancement of the profession. It should
be remembered when speaking of the science, art and literature of the
profession, that there was no true science in those early years. The
dawn of true science really began in the middle of the nineteenth cen-
tury; the art was very slow in its development and progress and the
literature would about fill the "five-foot shelf." It should also be
remembered that the wonderful discoveries that caused the profession's
g^eat advancement have been made since the middle of the nineteenth
centupy, e. g., the telegraph, telephone, improved methods of travel, the
microscope, the x-ray and other instruments for precession in diagnosis,
the laboratories with their various scientific tests, the antitoxins, vac-
cines, sera, and the institutions like the Rockefeller and other research
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MIDDLESEX
organizations for the promotion of scientific knowledge and the art that
applies it
It is not strange that, in view of the above facts and the importance
of maintaining and advancing the profession's standing and the promo-
tion of its greatest efficiency in the service of humanity, that the State
and County Societies in 1920 were compelled to take action and the
following committees were appointed:
Members of the Middlesex County Medical Society, February i, 1921,
and their residences :
President, George W. Ftthtan, Perth
Afiiboy; rice-president, Barth M. Howley,
New Brunswick; secretary and reporter,
Matthew F. Urbansld, Perdi Amboy;
treasurer, David C English, New Bmns-
wiclc
New Bnmsvoick — ^John F. Anderson,
Grover T. Applegate, James O'Carrtngton,
William J. Condon, £. Irving Crook,
Thomas A. Devan. James L. Fagan, Ralph
J. Faulktngham, Anthony Gniessner, Ben-
jamin Gutmann, Florentine M. Hoffman,
Charles V. Halst, William Klein, George
F. Leonard, Mortimer H. Linden, Pauline
A. Long, John F. McGovem, Robert L.
McKieman, Charles F. Merrill, Daniel L.
Morrison, Herbert W. Nafey, J. Warren
Rice, Laurence P. Runyon, Charles E.
Saulsberry, James P. Schureman, Fred.
W. Scott, Arthur L. Smith, Charles J.
Sullivan, Howard C. Voorhees.
Perth ^m^oy— Morris S. Coble, Judson
0. Cottrdl, Edward W. Hanson. Joseph E.
Hay, Frank C. Henrjr, John L. Lund, Wil-
liam London, William H. McCormick,
John L. MacDowall, Jacob J. Mann, Mar-
tin S. Meinzer, Charles W. Naulty, Wil-
liam E. Ramsay, J. Virgil Shull, Isadore
Seigel, Charles L Silk, Bern. H. Sirott,
Benjamin F. Slobodien, John V. Smith,
George W. Tyrrell, John G. Wilson.
Woodbridge—lm T. Spencer.
Corf^^/— Herbert L. Strandberg.
Chrome — Samuel Messenger.
Roosevelt— Jokoi J. Reason.
Metuchei^—SXzxiXfy Eiss, Alfred L. EUis,
Clarence A. Hofer, A. Clark Hunt, Lans-
ing Y. Lippincott
Dunellen — George W. Longbothum,
Thomas H. Piatt, Jr.
New Market-^iUiaatt J. Nelson.
MUltowm — ^Norman N. Forney, Ferd E.
Rlva.
Dayton — Edgar Carroll
CratUmry — Benjamin S. Van Djrke.
FrankUn Park—Jzxofts C Dunn.
SayrevUle — ^Jesse H. Beekman.
South /?tt^— Charles B. Burnett, Mel-
vin M. Hunt, Sarah Evans Sdover, A.
Lincoln Woods.
South AmhoySMta. T. Kinney, Eu-
gene A. Meacham, J. Francis Weber.
Belmar — Clarence M. Slack.
Jamesburff — John L. St^dam.
New York Ct/y— A. Schuyler Clark,
Henry H. Janeway.*
*Dr. Janeway died February U Ifttl.
Dr. Bonn W. Hoagland is also in Wood-
bridge, but his membership is in the Union
County Society.
Permanent Delegates to the State Society. Nominated by the
County Society and Elected by the State Society: Drs. C. H. Andrus,*
John Helm,* Edw. B. Dana,* A. Treganowan,* C. H. Voorhees,* F. M.
Donahue.* David Stephens,* John G. Wilson, Edgar Carroll, A. Clark
Hunt, Arthur L. Smith, Frank C. Henry.
Physicians practicing in Middlesex county not members of the
County Society at present : Drs. Ira C. Crandall, Old Bridge ; J. J. Col-
lins, Woodbridge; George S. Dudley, C. T. Maas, New Brunswick;
E. H. Eulner, South Amboy, Joseph S. Marks, Chrome ; Jacob C. Shinn,
H. D. Zandt, Jamesburg ; Myron J. Whitford, Dunellen.
Middlesex Physicians in World War Service : Drs. Judson G. Cottrell,
George W. Fithian, Edward K. Hanson,* John L. Lund, Benj. F. Slo-
*D«CMUlHI.
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bodein, of Perth Amboy; Drs. William J. Condon,* James L. Pagan,
Anthony Gruessner, Charles F. Merrill, John F. McGovern,J Robert L.
McKeeman,* Herbert W. Nafey,J James P. Schureman, of New Bruns-
wick ; J. Francis Webcr,J of South Amboy.
A number of others served on the Local Exemption Boards: Drs.
E. I. Cronk, G. W. Fithian, I. C. Crandall, B. S. Van Dyke, Edgar Carroll.
The following served on the County Advisory Exemption Board:
Drs. J. G. Wilson, chairman ; John F. Anderson, F. M. Donohue, Benj.
Gutmann, G. T. Applegate, B. M. Howley, L. Y. Lippincott, C. W.
Naulty, Jr., C. I. Silk, A. L. Smith, C. J. Sullivan.
Several Middlesex physicians were enrolled in the Medical Reserve
Corps, U. S. Army, and also in the Volunteer Medical Service Corps,
authorized by the Council of National Defense and approved by the
President of the United States.
The following have been officers of the Society since its organization
in 1816:
Presidents—QuLTlts Smith, 1816, 1823,
1826-28, 1836-37; Matthias Freeman, 1817;
Nathaniel Manning, 1818; Jacob Dunham,
i8ig, 1825, 1829; William Van Deursen,
1820; Josiah B. Andrews, 1821; Lewis A.
C. Henry, 1914; Martin S. Meinzer, 1915;
Clarence A. Hofer, 1917; Eugene A.
Meacham, 1918; Norman N. Forney, 1919;
Lawrence P. Runyon, 1920; George W.
Hall, 1830; Jacob T. B. Skillman, 1831;
James Qark, 1834; E. F. R. Smith, 1835,
1840; Samuel Abemethy, 1841; Ellis B.
Freeman, 1842, 1846; John H. Van Deur-
sen, 1843; Azariaii D. Newell, 1844-45.
(No meetings were held from 1845-1857).
Augustus F. Taylor, 1857; Clifford Mor-
rogh, 1858, 1881; J. T. B. Skillman, i860;
Henry M. Stone, 1861 ; Henry R. Baldwin,
1862-64, 1882; Ezra M. Hunt, 1865; Am-
brose Treganowan, 1866, 1871, 1887;
Charles Dunham, Jr., 1S67; Charles H.
Voorhees, 1868; Samuel St John Smith,
1870; David C. English, 1872; Rush Van
Dyke, 1873; Qarence M. Slack. 1874, 1898;
William E. Mattison, 1875 ; Nicholas Wil-
liamson, 1876; Thomas T. Devan, 1877;
P. A. Shannon, 1878; Charles H. Andrus,
1^9, 1890; J. Warren Rice, 1880, 1894;
Thomas L. Janeway, 1884; Frank M.
Donohue, 1885, 1904, 1916; A. Van Nest
Baldwin, 1888; David Davis, 1889; John
Helm, 1891; Edward B. Dana, 1802;
Staats Van Deursen Qark, 1895; Arthur
L. Smith, 1896; John G. Wilson, 1897;
John L. Suydam, 1899; William M. Moore,
1900; A. Clark Hunt, i?oi ; Edward E.
Haines, 1902; William E. Ramsey, 1903;
William V. McKenzie, 1905; Henry H.
Janeway, 1906; Edgar Carroll, 1907; Ferd
E. Riva, 1908; J^ C. Albright, 1909;
Benjamin Gutmann, 191 1; John L. Lund,
1912; Howard C. Voorhees, 1913; Frank
Fithian, 1921.
Secretaries— John Van Oevc, 1816 ; Wil-
liam Van Deursen, 1817-1836; Jacob T. B.
Skillman, 1836-1846; Henry R. Baldwin,
1857; Charles Dunham, Jr., 1858; L. Fred.
Baker, 1859; Joseph S. Martin, i860;
Samuel E. Freeman, 1861-1864; George W.
Stout, 1865; James W. Meeker, 1866-1868;
David Stephens, 1868-1874, 1888-1889;
Rush Van Dyke, 1874-1876; William E.
Mattison, 1876-1880; George G. Clark,
1880-1882; William Mabon, 1884; A. Van
Nest Baldwin, 1885; Frank M. Donohue,
1886; John Helm, 1887; William M.
Moore, 1903-1904; Alfred L. Ellis, 1905-
1907; Benjamin Gutmann, 1908-1909;
Howard C. Voorhees, 1910-1911; Martm
S. Meinzer, 1012-1913; Fred L. Brown,
1914-1917; William H. McCormick, 1918;
Diaries J. Sullivan, 1919; Herbert W.
Nafey, 1920; Matt. N. Urbanski, 1921.
Treasurers— j3,cob Dunham, 1816-1818;
William Van Deursen, 181 8; Nathaniel
Manning, 1819-1825; John Adams Pool,
1825-1838, 1839; Garret P. Voorhees, 1838;
Ellis B. Freeman, 1840-1844; E. F. R.
Smith, 1844-1846; Henry M. Stone, 1857-
x86o; John C. Thompson, x86o; J. S. Mar-
tin, 1861-1866; F. S. Barbarin, 1866-1868;
Charles Dunham, Jr., 1868-1875; Thomas
T. Devan, 1875; David C. English, 1876
to date.
Reporters to the State Society— Ezrz M.
Hunt, 1862-1864, 1868-1869, 1882; Ambrose
•In U. a Navy.
tin U. S. Army. ^ ^ ^ ^ , ^, „
tDp. Weber received a medal for meritorlouB service from (General McRaa.
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254 MIDDLESEX
Treganowan, 1865, 1800-1891 ; Henry R. Nest Baldwin, 1893-1896 ; Arthur L. Smith,
Baldwin, 1870-1873; David C Englbh, 1897-1910; Benjamin Gutmann, 1911-1014;
1874-1877; Qiarles H. Andrus, 1878-1879, Anthony Gruessner, 1915-1916; Fred L.
1889; Thomas L. Janeway, 1880-1881 ; Brown, 1917-1919; Herbert W. Nafey,
Frank M. Donohue, 1883-1888; A. Van 1919-1920; Matthew F. Urbanski, 1921.
Societies Organized by Middlesex County Physicians:
The Medical Section of the Rutgers Club was practically the New
Brunswick Medical Society as its membership was composed entirely
of physicians of that city and Milltown. It was organized February 14,
1917, when Drs. L. P. Runyon, A. L. Smith, B. Gutmann, H. C. Voor-
hees, F. E. Riva, C. E. Saulsberry, D. C. English, B. M. Howley, F. L.
Brown, F. W. Scott, I. E. Cronk, C. J. Sullivan, G. Merrill, J. F. Ander-
son, J. P. Schureman, N. N. Forney, F. M. Hoffman and H. W. Nafey
met in the Alumni Hall of Rutgers College, and received an offer from
the Rutgers Alumni Club of the use of their club house, which was
accepted, an organization was effected. Constitution and By-laws adopted
constituting as members physicians who were alumni of the College
and other physicians of New Brunswick becoming members of the
Rutgers Club by election and payment to the club of annual dues. Dr.
Runyon was elected chairman of the organization; Dr. Smith vice-
chairman ; Dr. Nafey, secretary and treasurer ; Dr. Brown, reporter.
The officers for 1920-21 are: Dr. D. C. English,' chairman; Dr. Hoff-
man, vice-chairman; Dr. C. W. Merrill, secretary and treasurer. The
Society meets monthly except in July and August. One meeting, held
at the residence of Dr. English, should have special notice. It was held
in September, 1920. to do honor to the New Brunswick young men who
had studied medicine and achieved great success in practice in Newark
and New York— Drs. L. F. Bishop, A. S. Clark, J. F. Hagerty, H. H.
Janeway, J. L. Trainor, E. H. Pool and Bernard Daly, the latter having
sacrificed his own life in the saving of another's life.
Perth Amboy Medical Society was organized May 26, 1919. The
present officers are: President, Dr. William E. Ramsay; vice-presi-
dent, Dr. M. F. Urbanski ; secretary. Dr. Charles W. Naulty, Jr. ; treas-
urer, Dr. Martin S. Meinzer. The Society meets every second month
except in July and August.
The New Jersey State Microscopical Society. Organized by Dr.
J. W. Meeker, in 1871. He had bought a fine microscope a few years
before and Prof. G. H. Cook and Prof. F. C. Van Dyck had been meeting
at Dr. Meeker's residence experimenting with it. In 1871 most of the
following doctors of the city met and organized this Society : Drs. J. W.
Meeker, C. Morrogh, C. Dunham, H. R. Baldwin, D. C. English, C. H.
Voorhees. N. Williamson, with Prof. Van Dyck, Rev. Samuel Lockwood
and Julius Bloom, all New Brunswick men. They held frequent meet-
ings, three of them public; at one Liquid Air was exhibited and dis-
cussed ; at another a symposium on the Microscope, its uses in medical
science. In 1880 the Society was incorporated and in 1881 its enroll-
ment was 59 active and corresponding members. February 18, 1914,
the name was changed to "The New Brunswick Scientific Society;" its
membership embracing men of all scientific professions.
The New Jersey Sanitary Association was formed to create a strong
public sentiment in favor of the earnest efforts to create a State Board
of Health as Governors and Legislators had been indifferent. It was not
a Middlesex organization, but Dr. Ezra M. Hunt was the originator and
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THE MEDICAL FRATERNITY 255
inspirer of doctors and prominent laymen of our County and State. It
had a powerful effect in securing the State Board in 1877 and Dr. Hunt
became the leader in establishing and conducting the work for many
years. His son, Dr. A. Clark Hunt, of Metuchen, is Chief of the Bureau
of Medical Supervision and is the editor of the Bulletin published by
the Board. He was president of the New Jersey Sanitary Association
last year
The Board of Health in New Brunswick was instituted in 1879 with
Dr. H. R. Baldwin as president. The Health Officers have been in suc-
cession as follows : Drs. Edward A. Reiley, Thomas L. Janeway, A. Van
Nest Baldwin, Staats V. D. Clark, Benjamin Gutmann and E. Irving
Cronk, the last named was elected in 1910 and is still serving.
There were 520 deaths in 1920 in the city, the death rate was 1.5 per
1,000 of population.
The Board of Health in Perth Amboy was instituted in 1879. Dr.
Matthew F. Urbanski is president of the Board. Charles S. Thompson,
D. V. S., is the Health Officer. There were 498 deaths in Perth Amboy
in 1920, the death rate was 11 46 per 1,000 of population.
Dr. J. V. Smith is Health Officer of the Port of Perth Amboy,
appointed by the Governor of the State. Dr. Charles W. Naulty, Jr., has
been Medical Officer in charge of the Perth Amboy Quarantine since
1907. The Medical Inspectors of Schools are Drs. Jacob J. Mann and
William H. McCormick.
Welfare Committees — During the year 1920 Welfare Committees
were appointed in the various counties to guard against legislation tend-
ing to destroy the efficiency of the profession in serving the public.
The Middlesex County Committee is: Drs. B. M. Howley, F. M. Hoff-
man, C. I. Silk, F. L. Brown and B. S. Van Dyke.
Professional Guilds — There were also established in each of the
counties Professional Guilds to oppose harmful legislation, in which
physicians, dentists, druggists and nurses have been deeply interested.
The Middlesex County Guild's officers are: President, Dr. B. F.
Howley: vice-president, Henry H. Petz, druggist; treasurer, Dr. P. L.
Schwartz, dentist; secretary. Miss Marie Nielson, nurse; chairman
executive council. Dr. D. C. English. A State Professional Guild has
also been formed.
The writer calls the reader's attention to what he regards as the
best and most important part of this article — that which sets forth the
lives and activities of those who made the State and County Societies
what they were, and the medical profession's record one that is worthy
of our pride and of our undying devotion in best efforts to sustain its
high standing and greatest efficiency in blessing humanity. We deeply
regret our inability to give biographies also of the long list of "Other
Deceased Physicians of Middlesex County." Many of them belonged
to that grand class known as "Country Doctors," who often denied
themselves comfort and needed rest, responding to calls day or night, at
any distance, to relieve suffering patients.
Never in the history of our country and the world has there been
greater need of contemplating and imitating the lives and service of
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256 MIDDLESEX
such men as Samuel Fuller and the devoted godly men who were
founders of our State and County Societies. We need to bear in mind
that the greatness and achievements of the founders and deceased mem-
bers of our County Society came from the facts that they were actuated
by the consciousness that they belonged to a high and holy calling
and that thev were governed by a deep sense of their personal responsi-
bUity in dealing with the lives and health of those whom they served.
The sense of responsibility is ever the foundation principle of all true,
manly service, and the sine qua non of all great achievements.
After the biographical sketches we will give a brief outline in tabular
form, of the present activities of the Middlesex County practitioners.
They look forward to the future with no fear, notwithstanding the
attempts to drag down scientific medicine, to stop its marvelous progress
and destroy its efficiency, as they are sure that the right will triumph
over ignorance and prejudice. The added burden that has been laid upon
the profession — of educating the public through the Welfare Committee
and the Professional Guild, concerning the fact that the profession's
position, taken 154 years ago— that the three-fold object of its organiza-
tion were — Mutual Improvement, Advancement of the Profession and
the Public Good, still remain and will ever remain the same. The his-
tories of both State and County Societies prove that the Public Good
has been the chief object We are encouraged in the belief that the
efforts to educate the public will succeed, by the results of similar efforts
on the Pacific Coast. Two bills were introduced in the California legis-
lature—one to prohibit vaccination in the State; the other for the
prevention of vivisection; they were submitted to popular vote in the
election last November with the following result: For the anti-vaccina-
tion law, 359,987; against it, 468,911. For the anti-vivisection
law, 272,288; against it, 527,130. Also in the Oregon legislature a
constitutional amendment was introduced against compulsory vaccina-
tion; it was submitted to popular vote, with the result: For it, 63,038;
against it, 127,200. Surely a good beginning. Medicine is making great
advance. The medical research institutions are greatly increasing the
knowledge of etiology and diagnoses of diseases and thereby enabling
the profession not only to cure but also stamp out preventable diseases.
Smallpox, yellow fever, the bubonic plague, have been practically wiped
out except where ignorance and prejudice exist; other diseases have
been greatly lessened; tuberculosis, syphilis and cancer have been the
hardest problems in recent years, but they are beginning to yield. The
public should stop and think what this preventive work and what the
general public health work, the hospitals, the clinics, etc., mean in cut-
ting down the profession's incomes and mightily promoting the Public
Good.
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THE MEDICAL FRATERNITY 257
Biographical Sketches of Middlesex Founders of the State Society :
Robert McKean, Perth Amboy, was in 1757 ordained to the Mission
of New Brunswick, by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel
in Foreign Parts. He removed to Perth Amboy in 1763. Previous to
his settlement in Amboy, his mission embraced the towns of Piscataway
and Spotswood. He devoted himself to the conscientious discharge of
his duties, as far as a somewhat delicate constitution would permit, and
made occasional visits to Readingtown, twenty-five miles distant. He
was also a practicing physician. That he was distinguished as such
and for his zeal in promoting the science of medicine^ is illustrated by
the fact that he was one of the original seventeen medical men who
organized the New Jersey Medical Society in July, 1766. He was the
first signer to its "instruments of Association and Constitutions," and
received the honor of being its first president.
In a letter dated October 12, 1767, Rev. Dr. Chandler, of Elizabeth-
town, informed the Society that "wasted away with tedious disorder, the
worthy, the eminently useful and amiable Mr. McKean is judged by his
physicians to be at present at the point of death." He adds, "a better man
was never in the Society's service." He died October 17, 1767, and he
was buried in the graveyard of St. Peter's Church in Amboy. His mon-
ument now stands there, erected by Hon. Thomas McKean, an early
Governor of Pennsylvania, bearing the inscription :
In memory of Robert McKean, M. A., Practitioner of Physic, etc., and Missionary
from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, to the City of
Perth Amboy, who was bom July 13, 1732. N. S., and died October iTthj 1767. An
tmshaken friend, an agreeable companion, a rational Divine, a skillful Physician and in
every relation in life a truly benevolent and honest man. Fraternal love hath erected
this monument
Dr. Stephen Wickes, in History of Medicine in New Jersey and of its
Medical Men, says : In the early history of the colonies, the practice of
the healing art was chiefly in the care of the clergy. Many of them
were men of profound minds and highly educated.
John Cochran, of Scotch-Irish ancestry, was born in Chester County,
Pennsylvania, September, 1730. About the time he completed his
medical education, the war of 1758 between England and France began
in America. As there were no great hospitals in the Colonies he realized
that the army would be a good school for improvement in medicine and
surgery. He obtained appointment of surgeon's mate in the hospital
department and continued in that office during the war, enjoying the
friendship and advice of several English physicians. While lying off
Oswego in a British vessel during that war, a shot from the French
fleet entered the place where he was operating and carried away the
operating table and his instruments. He at last quitted the service with
a high reputation as a practitioner, and settled first in Albany, New York,
where he married a daughter of General Schuyler. In a short time he
removed to New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he continued to practice
medicine with great success. He rented and maintained a house, "within
three miles of New Brunswick," for the reception of patients who wished
to be inoculated for smallpox, and he attended over 400 there during the
winter and spring of 1774. He was one of the founders of the State
Medical Society in 1766 and in 1769 was elected its president. He
became a zealous Whig and when hostilities commenced in the War of
lCid-17
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2S8 MIDDLESEX
the Revolution, he was driven from New Brunswick by the British, who
burned his house. The Doctor offered his services in 1776 as a volunteer
in the hospital department. General Washington appreciated his ability
and recommended him to Congress in the following words :
I would take the liberty of mentioning a gentleman whom I think highly deserving
of notice, not only on account of his ability, but for die very great assistance wfakh he
has afforded us in the course of this winter, merely in the nature of a volunteer. This
j^entleman is Dr. John Cochran, well known to all the faculty. The place for which he
is fitted, and whidi would be most agreeable to him is, Sungreon-Goieral of the Middle
Department. In this line he served all the last war in die British Service and has distin-
Siished himself this winter particularly in his attention to the smallpox patients and
e wounded.
He was appointed April 10, 1777, Physician and Surgeon General in
the Middle Department. In October, 1781, Congress commissioned
him Director General of the Hospitals of the United States and he was
attached to headquarters, to General Washington's staflf. His pay was
five dollars per day. After the war the cordial relations formed in the
war between General Washington and Dr. Cochran were continued, as
appears from a letter from the former which is published in Irving's
"Life of Washington," Vol. Ill, page 477. The historian remarks : "It is
almost the only instance of sportive writing in all Washington's corre-
spondence." It was concerning an invitation to a dinner party at head-
quarters, West Point, 1779, at which Mrs. Cochran and Mrs. Livingston
were to dine with him. He was often addressed by Washington and
Lafayette as "Dear Doctor Bones." Soon after the war he removed to
New York and resumed practice of his profession. Upon the adoption
of the new constitution, President Washing^n, retaining "a cheerful
recollection of his past services," nominated him to the office of Com-
missioner of Loans for the State of New York. A stroke of paralysis
subsequently caused him to resign and he went to Schenectady, where
he died on April 6, 1807.
Moses Bloomfield, Woodbridge — He was born December 4, 1729; was
for forty years a practitioner of medicine at Woodbridge, New Jersey ;
he was a man of more than ordinary ability ; was considered one of the
best physicians of his day. He became a member of the State Society
in 1776 and was active and efficient in its service. He was its secretary
in 1767; its president in 1785. He was a representative in the Provincial
Congress and the General Assembly. He was commissioned surgeon
United States Hospital, Continental Army, May 14, 1777; was an upright
magistrate; an elder in the Presbyterian Church. He died August 14,
1791. The "New Jersey Journal" of August 31, 1791, in an obituary
notice of him, said : "He maintained an eminent character as a scholar,
a physician and a Christian. He served in civil offices of trust and honor.
* * He was benevolent and liberal to the poor, religious without
bigotry. * * In his death the State has lost a worthy citizen and the
Presbyterian Church an important member."
James Gilliand, New Brunswick, was bom in that city. Was one of
the founders of the State Society in 1766; the following year, as he
proposed to embark for Europe, the Society gave him credentials as a
member in good standing and well qualified as a practitioner of medicine.
We have found no other records of him.
John Griffith was bom November 19, 1736. He resided in Rahway —
then in Middlesex county, where for many years he practiced medicine
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THE MEDICAL FRATERNITY 259
and wao iiignly esteemed as a physician and citizen. He was one of
the founders of the State Society, was elected its president in 1790,
delivering the following year an able dissertation on pulmonary con-
sumption. He died August 23, 1805. He had a son, Thomas, who
practiced medicine many years in Newark, who was a member of the
State Society.
Isaac Habris was bom and educated in East Jersey in 1741. He settled
in Quibbletown — ^now New Market, where he practiced several years
and where he owned an elegant residence and farm. He removed to
Salem coimty in 1771 where he practiced many years. He was one of
the founders of the State Society in 1766 and was elected its president in
1792. In the Revolutionary War he was commissioned Surgeon in Gen-
eral Newcomb's Brigade, State Troops. One son — Isaac — ^practiced in
Salem county, another son — Sdmuel — in Camden, and a grandson —
Henry S. — in Belvidere. The doctor died in 1808; on his tombstone it
is stated, "He sustained the character of an eminent physician, an upright
civil magistrate and a faithful elder and deacon of the Church of Christ."
Thomas Wiggins was bom in Southold, Long Island, in 1731. Gradu-
ated at Yale College in 1752. He removed to New Jersey and settled in
the practice of medicine at Princeton, New Jersey, where for many years
he was greatly esteemed practitioner of medicine and Christian gentle-
man. He was one of the founders of the State Medical Society in 1766,
was its president in 1774 and its secretary in 1781 and 1782. He was
treasurer of the College of New Jersey in 1786-7. He was an elder in
the Presbyterian church, to which he bequeathed a house and a tract
of land, which for many years was used as the manse. When the Con-
tinental Congress was in session in Princeton, he extended the hospitali-
ties of his house to General Washington and his lady. He died in Prince-
ton on November 14, 1801.
Organizers of the Middlesex County Medical Society :
Lewis Dunham was born in New Brunswick in 1754; he was the great-
great-grandson of Edmond, who was the first white child bom in Mid-
dlesex county. His father, Azariah, was an active Revolutionary patriot.
In 1775 he was a member of the Colonial Assembly from Middlesex;
was a delegate to the Provincial Congress. He commenced practice in
New Brunswick and continued it until the breaking out of the war ; was
commissioned surgeon of the Third Regiment February 21, 1776; sur-
geon Third Battalion November 28, 1776. He became a member of the
State Medical Society in 1783, and was one of its most active members ;
was secretary in 1883 and 1884; was elected its president in 1791, and
again in 1816. He died August 26, 1821.
The inscription on his monument in the Presbyterian graveyard contains these
words : **Few men have ever shown greater energy of character wisely and wiiformly
directed in all the relations of life. Truely a patriot during the whole war of Independ-
ence, he was to his country a devoted son. In peace he resumed his profession and dur-
ing a practice of more than forty years he was mdefatigable beyond expression," etc.
Jacob Dunham was a brother of Lewis ; was bom in New Brunswick,
September 29, 1767. He attended lectures in Philadelphia when he was
twenty years of age ; was a classmate of the eminent Dr. W. P. Dewces
and there was always a close intimacy between them. The doctor's
practice was an extensive one, covering a wide territory. He was
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elected a member of the State Society November 6, 1792 ; was its treas-
urer from 1808 to 181 5. He died August 7, 1832.
Enoch Wilson — We have not been able to trace Dr. Wilson historically,
but we have found in the State Society transactions that he was corre-
sponding secretary of the State Society in 1815; in 1816 and 1817 he
was one of the managers; also in 1816 and 1817 he was vice-president
of the State Society and one of the censors for Middlesex county. He
was very regular in attendance at the State Society meetings.
Matphias Freeman was born in Woodbridge, where he practiced many
years ; he was very highly esteemed ; was elected a member of the State
Society in 1808 ; was regular in attendance and served on important com-
mittees ; was a member of the Board of Managers ; a censor for Middle-
sex county several years.
Charles Smith was born near Princeton 1768; graduated from Prince-
ton College 1786; studied medicine with Dr. Moses Scott; received the
degree of M. D. from Queen's (now Rutgers) College in its first class
to graduate 1792; became Dr. Scott's partner and married his daughter.
He served as surgeon in State troops during the Whiskey Insurrection
in 1794; was elected a trustee of Rutgers College 1804. He was a skilled
and successful practitioner, one of the most accomplished of his day;
was elected a Fellow of the College of P. & S., New York City in 1814.
He was corresponding secretary of the State Society 1807 and 1808;
vice-president in 1810 and president in 181 1. He died May 7, 1848. He
left an estate of about $150,000. Our State Society took action on his
death which characterized him "One of the most learned and skillful
members of the profession in the State."
Nathaniel Manning is said to have belonged to the family that came
to Perth Amboy in the "Caledonia" from Scotland in 1715. He received
his medical education under the tuition of the "Faculty of Philadelphia ;"
he presented testimonials from them as to his proficiency in medicine
when he joined the State Medical Society in 1767. He first practiced in
Metuchen and was considered an able physician. He graduated from
the College of New Jersey in 1762, and is noted in its catalogue as a
clergyman. In 1771, being about to leave the province, he applied to
the State Society for a certificate of character as a physician, which was
granted. He went to England in 1771 and was soon afterward ordained
by the Bishop of London for Hampton Parish, Virginia. In 1775 he was
its incumbent.
Ralph P. Lott studied medicine with Dr. Hezekiah Stites of Cranbury ;
he attended lectures in Philadelphia ; attended as a delegate from Mid-
dlesex county several meetings of the State Society; was one of the
committee appointed to organize the Middlesex County District Society.
He had a large practice and accumulated considerable property. He
died September 17, 1845, *" the seventy-fifth year of his age.
John Van Cleve was bom at Maidenhead, now Lawrence, Mercer
county, 1778; graduated from Princeton in 1797; studied medicine
with Drs. Stockton and Maclean ; graduated from the College of Physi-
cians and Surgeons, New York City, in 1819, was associate in partner-
ship for several years with Dr. Stockton. He was held in gjeat respect
as a man of talent and skill in his profession, so much so that at a
meeting of the college trustees held September 27, 1825, the following
resolution was adopted: "Resolved, That the president and faculty be
empowered to make such a temporary arrangement with Dr. Van Clere
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THE MEDICAL FRATERNITY 261
for the introduction of lectures on medicine, or the auxiliary branches
of knowledge, as they may think proper, and to make thereon at the
next meeting of the board. This was intended to be merely preliminary
to the establishment of a medical department in the college, with Dr.
Van Cleve as its head. His death the following year put an end to any
further action.
Van Cleve joined the society at the time of its reorganization June
23, 1807, and was ever thereafter one of the most active and influential
members. He was corresponding secretary 1810-15; president 181 5,
again in 1818; recording secretary 1820-24. He was for many years a
ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church of Princeton, a trustee of the
college and a director in the Theological Seminary. He died December
24, 1826.
Prominent Deceased Physicians in Middlesex :
Moses Scott was one of the noblest of the early physicians of Middlesex
county. He was bom in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, in 1738. At
seventeen years of age he went with the unfortunate expedition under
Braddock. At the capture of Fort Du Quesne he had risen to be a com-
missioned officer, but he resigned his position and began the study of
medicine and at about 1774 commenced practice at New Brunswick and
soon gained a high reputation as a practitioner. But he was a patriot
and he entered the service on February 14, 1776, commissioned sur-
geon of the Second Middlesex Regiment, and subsequently surgeon in
the General Hospital, Continental Army. He procured from Europe a
large supply of medicines and surgical instruments, but most of it fell
into the hands of the enemy on their sudden invasion of New Brunswick
when he barely escaped capture, as they entered his house and ate his
prepared dinner. In 1777 Congress having taken the entire direction of
the medical staff, commissioned Dr. Scott as Senior Physician and Sur-
geon of the Hospitals and Assistant Director General. He was at the
battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine and Germantown and was
near General Mercer when he fell at Princeton. On the restoration of
peace he resumed practice at New Brunswick. He became a member
of the Medical Society of New Jersey in 1782 and was very active in its
work; was elected its president in 1789. In 1814 he was made a Fellow
of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York. In early life he
made a profession of religion, was ever loyal to the church and for
many years a most efficient elder, as well as treasurer of the Board of
Trustees of thie Presbyterian Church. He died on December 28, 1821.
One daughter married Dr. Charles Smith, another daughter married Dr.
Ephraim F. R. Smith, both of New Brunswick.
Hezekiah Stites, of Cranbury, was descended from one of the original
emigrants to New England who lived to the extraordinary age of 122
years. Little is known concerning the doctor's early years. When the
State Medical Society was formed in 1766 he was 40 years of age and
had been in practice several years; he became a member of the State
Society in 1767 and was elected its president in 1775.
Melancthon Freeman was bom in Piscataway, New Jersey, in 1746.
He practiced several years in Metuchen. He was commissioned "Sur-
geon of State Troops, Colonel Forman's Battalion, Heard's Brigade, June
21, 1776." A son and a grandson, each bearing his name, were physicians.
Henry Drake was bom in New Brunswick in 1773. His father was
James Drake, the proprietor of the famous Indian Queen Hotel, where
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262 MIDDLESEX
several noted travelers by the stage route between New York and Phila-
delphia rested en route. The State Medical Society often met "at the
house of James Drake." Though a man of some skill, Dr. Drake soon
abandoned practice and assumed management of the hotel, doubtless
without any regret expressed by the profession as he was not a man
of high moral character.
John Lawrence was bom in Monmouth county, graduated from
Princeton College in 1764 and from the University of Pennsylvania in
1768, being one of the first to receive a medical degree in America. He
began practice in Perth Amboy in 1776, where he was very successful
for a few years when he went to New York, but in 1783 returned to
New Jersey and settled in Freehold, where he died April 29, 1830, aged
83 years.
Charles A. Howard studied medicine with Dr. Alex. Ross in New
Brunswick and after the death of his preceptor in 1775, married his
widow. Being in sympathy with the British he was under guard of
the Council of Safety m New York, upon taking the oath of abjuration
and allegiance he returned to New Brunswick, settled at "Ross Hall" and
engaged in practice, acquiring reputation as a surgeon and was held in
high social position. He joined the State Medical Society in 1786. He
was a warden in Christ Church in 1790. He died September 21, 1794.
John Galen Wall was bom at Middletown, December 17, 1759. He
joined the State Medical Society in 1783. He practiced for a short time
at Perth Amboy, then removed to Woodbridge. He was thirteen years
in practice in those places. He died in January, 1798.
Isaac Ogden, bom in 1764, studied medicine and settled at Six Mile
Run, where he had an extensive practice. He became a member of the
State Medical Society in 1788. About the year 1820 he removed to New
Brunswick, where he died in 1829. "He was a man of purest life, a
practical Christian, promoting the interests of religion by every means
in his power."
Ephraim Fitz-Randolph Smith was bom near New Brunswick in
1786; studied medicine with Dr. Moses Scott; graduated from the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1808 and began practice in
New Brunswick. He served as treasurer of the State Medical Society
from 1817 to 1829; was elected vice-president in 1830 and president in
1832. He was an eminent physician. For many years he was president
of the leading banking institution in the city; served as mayor of the
city in 1842. He retired from practice in 1854. He was an earnest
Christian man who died in the faith of the Gospel of Christ, May 4, 1865.
William Van Deursen was bom in New Bmnswick, May 16, 1791 ;
after graduating from Queen's College in 1809, he studied medicine and
graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, in
1814. He first settled in practice at Imlaystown, but very soon removed
to New Brunswick, where he secured an extensive practice; was espe-
cially distinguished for his skill in surgery. He had many students who
entered the profession from his office. For more than fifty years he was
the leading physician of the city. He was elected a trustee of Rutgers
College, New Brunswick, in 1814. He had a son. Dr. John H., who
practiced in New Brunswick, and also a grandson. Dr. D. Clark Van
Deursen, who practiced there a short time and then in Somerset county.
John Adams Pool was bom in New Bmnswick — at the Landing — ^in
1796. He studied medicine and was licensed by the Medical Society of
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THE MEDICAL FRATERNITY 263
New Jersey, receiving his diploma from Dr. Lewis Dunham, then presi-
dent, November 13, 1816. He practiced medicine but to a very limited
extent. He was very active in the State and County Medical Societies,
often serving in official position. He died May i, i860. A grandson,
Dr. Eugene H. Pool, is an able practitioner and professor in medical insti-
tutions in New York City.
Samuel Abernethy, of Rahway, was born February 26, 1806; gradu-
ated in Medicine from the University of Philadelphia in 1830 and after
one year in hospital there settled in Rahway, then in Middlesex county,
where he practiced until his death, February 13, 1874; he had an exten-
sive practice and was an eminent physician and surgeon.
Solomon Andrews — The only information we have been able to get
concerning him is that he received the degree of M. D. from Rutgers
College in 1827; that he was g^ven his diploma by Dr. Isaac Pearson,
president of the State Society that year; that he was Collector of the
Port of Perth Amboy in 1844-45 2i^d that he was the inventor of the
locks used in the United States mail pouches. He died October 20, 1872.
Jacob T. B. Skillman was bom at Three Mile Run, Somerset county,
March 10, 1794. He graduated from Union College in 1819 and after
spending three years teaching he removed tp New Brunswick and began
the study of medicine, completing the course under Dr. A. R. Taylor;
he was licensed to practice by the State Medical Society, receiving his
diploma November 8, 1825. He began practice in Woodbridge, but
after three years removed to Rahway and two years later to New Bruns-
wick, where for thirty years he had the respect of all who knew him
for his ability, modesty, kindness and strict integrity. For several years
he was a faithful office bearer in the First Reformed Church of New
Brunswick. He died June 26, 1864.
C. McKnight Smith was born at Haverstraw, New York, September
29, 1803, son of Samuel Smith, lawyer and on mother's side grandson
of Dr. Charles McKnight, a prominent surgeon in the American army
during the Revolutionary War. Dr. Smith studied medicine and grad-
uated from the Medical College, New York, in 1827; commenced prac-
tice in St. Mary county, Maryland, and soon after settled ia Perth
Amboy, where until the time of his death he was recognized as the most
prominent physician; few underwent more arduous work and exposure
than he. President Harrison appointed him Collector of the Port of
Perth Amboy in 1842; President Taylor appointed him to the same
office in 1848 and President Grant reappointed him in 1869 and again in
1873. For many years he was health officer of the city. For 30 years he
was a vestryman of St. Peter's Church, of which the first president of our
State Society was formerly the rector. He was an exceedingly active
and efficient member and officer of our State Society. He died at Perth
Amboy February 3, 1874.
George J. Janeway was bom in Philadelphia, October 14, 1806; gradu-
ated from the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in
1830; in 1831 he went to Paris and studied in the French hospitals;
returned to New York in 1832 and practiced there during the cholera
outbreak there; he removed to New Brunswick in 1847, where he con-
tinued to practice over 40 years. He was of a kind and genial disposition,
a benevolent, unselfish man, serving devotedly the poor and needy. He
was mayor oif New Brunswick in 1869 and 1870. He was long a devoted
and beloved elder in the First Presbyterian Church. He died September
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264 MIDDLESEX
i6. 1889, aged 83 years. He was the father of Prof. E. G. Janeway, M. D.,
of New York City.
Clifford Morsogh was bom in Ireland in 1821 ; his father, mother and
their ten children came to America in 1834. He studied medicine and
graduated from the University of the City of New York in 1847; came
to New Brunswick with his brother, Dr. Archibald Morrogh, who prac-
ticed here a short time and then went to the West Indies.
Dr. C. Morrogh was called the Irish doctor ; he met with some oppo-
sition at first, but his skill as a surgeon soon gave him a commandmg
position and his progress was rapid ; his reputation extended far beyond
the city and even the State ; he was the first to use chloroform in that
section of the State, in amputating a leg from each of two colored people
at request of Dr. A. F. Taylor, township physician ; soon after he oper-
ated on a lad for stone in the bladder, the first time it had been done in
the city; subsequently he performed that operation thirty-two times.
An operation that won him great praise was for carious bone of ankle
joint, the first time it was performed in this country, with modifications
in operating original with him. With all his great skill he was exceed-
ingly modest, rarely consenting to prepare papers, though two or three
are published in the State Society's transactions. He excelled in diag-
nosis; a man of mechanical genius, if he had not a splint at hand he
made one and he devised three or four surgical instruments. He also
drew the designs for a sailing yacht that took two prizes. He responded
to calls for service after several of the great battles of the Civil War.
He was a director of the State Bank; director of the New Brunswick
Savings Institution twenty-nine years, and its vice-president a few years.
His financial ability was shown in St. Peter's R. C. Church, of which he
was treasurer; he issued bonds to the amount of $60,000 for it which
he placed, and when he went to Europe in 1868 but a few thousand'
dollars were outstanding ; he was largely instrumental in securing chimes
costing $4,000 for the church. He was the leading surgeon of the State
and his many excellent qualities of mind and heart won for him great
respect. He died March 13, 1882.
Charles Dunham was bom in New Brunswick in 1830; he was a
grandson of Dr. Jacob Dunham. He studied medicine and graduated
from the University of Pennsylvania Medical Department in 1850 ; began
practice at Bordentown but the next year removed to New Brunswick,
where he acquired an extensive practice. He served several years as a
member of the board of public school trustees and was prominent in
Masonic organizations. He died December 9, 1875.
Charles H. Voorhees was born in New Brunswick, August 3, 1824;
graduated from the JeflFerson Medical College, Philadelphia, in 1850,
and began practice in New Brunswick that year. He was very active
in the County and State Medical Societies and often represented the
latter in national organizations. He was a member of his city's Board
of Health and was county physician for sixteen years. He served as
surgeon of New Jersey Volunteers in the Civil War from 1862 to 1865.
He died May 13, 1900.
Henry R. Baldwin, of New Brunswick, was bom in New York City,
September 18, 1829. His ancestors were Hollanders on the maternal
side; paternally they were among the original settlers of 1639 *** Con-
necticut. In early life he came with his parents to New Brunswick;
graduated from Rutgers College in 1849, studied medicine and gradu-
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THE MEDICAL FRATERNITY 265
ated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York in 1853;
served as resident physician at Bellevue Hospital eighteen months. In
December, 1855, he settled in New Brunswick and practiced there until
his death on February 3, 1902. His practice was very extensive, so
that he was glad to have his son, who graduated in medicine in 1882,
associated with him until the son's death in 1897.
He was one of the most faithful members of both County and State
Medical Societies; he was treasurer of the State Society from 1866 to
1874, when he was elected third vice-president and in June, 1877, was
elected president; he served on the Business Committee as chairman
fourteen years and on the Fellows' Prize Essay Committee several years.
He was a member of several medical societies ; was appointed by Gov-
ernor Griggs, in 1897, one of the managers of the State Hospital for the
Insane; he was surgeon of the Pennsylvania Railroad for this section;
was president of the staff of Wells Hospital from its organization in
1889 until his death ; also was president of the City Board of Health.
He sought also the public good as a citizen; was for two terms an
Alderman; served 12 years on Board of Water Commissioners; and
on the Board of Education 17 years; he was elected a trustee of Rutgers
College in 1884 and that college conferred on him in 1893 the honorary
degree of LL. D. His friends erected beautiful gates at one of the
entrances to the college grounds to his memory.
He was an officer of the Second Reformed Church of New Bruns-
wick.
Ezra M. Hunt was born in Metuchen, New Jersey, January 4, 1830;
after a preparatory course at Irving Institute, Tarrytown, he entered
Princeton College in 1845, graduating in 1849; studied medicine under
Dr. Abraham Coles; received the degree of M. D. from the College of
Physicians and Surgeons, New York City, in 1852; he began the prac-
tice of medicine in his native town in 1853; was appointed lecturer on
Materia Medica in Vermont Medical College; the next year he was
elected Professor of Chemistry in the same institution, but in 1855 he
resumed practice in Metuchen, continuing until he joined the army in
1862, as assistant surgeon of the 29th New Jersey Infantry; after two
months he was placed in charge of the Calvert Street Hospital, Balti-
more, Maryland, and remained there till his term expired, when he
returned to Metuchen and again resumed practice.
He was a prominent member of the Middlesex County Medical
Society. In 1864 he was elected president of the State Society of which
he was a most influential member and frequently represented it in na-
tional and international medical societies. He was one of the most
influential members of the American Public Health Association and
was its president in 1883. To his untiring efforts as our State Society's
leader in the movement was largely due the organization of the State
Board of Health in 1877, and he was chosen as the one best fitted to
conduct its work and he served most efficiently for many years.
The degree of LL. D. was conferred upon him by Lafayette College
and that of Sc. D. by Princeton College. In 1888 he was elected an
honorary member of the Epidemiological Society of London, England.
A prominent writer, in a sketch of his life said : "The secret of Dr. Hunt's
life of activity, faithfulness, earnestness and perseverance, is to be found
in his deep personal piety and consistent humble Christian life — ^his firm
unwavering trust in God." He died in Metuchen, July i, 1894.
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266 MIDDLESEX
Nicholas Williamson was bom in New Brunswick, March 9, 1845.
After an excellent preliminary education he studied medicine with Dr.
H. R. Baldwin and graduated from the College of Physicians and Sur-
geons, New York City, in 1872, and began practice in New Brunswick.
He was an able physician and had a large practice, and yet he had time
to act the good citizen in the service of his city and also to serve his
God in official position in his church. He was twice elected mayor of
New Brunswick and served with conspicuous ability.
Universally respected by all, he died August 15, 1902, and his loss was
mourned by ill.
Frank M. Donohue, New Brunswick, was bom in that city, August
17, 1859, after a liberal education, he studied medicine with Dr. Clifford
Morrogh ; graduated from the New York University Medical College
in 1881 and was associated with his preceptor in practice until the death
of the latter in 1882, when he assumed entire charge of the very exten-
sive practice they had had, and as the minute adopted by the County
Society said — "by the exhibition of similar skill and efficiency he became
the worthy successor of that distinguished surgeon." He took a deep
interest in the work of the County Medical Society; was three times
its president and though a busy practitioner was regular in attendance
and contributed largely to the scientific programs. His annual reception
of its members at his beautiful summer residence — Cedar Crest — ^were
occasions of greatest pleasure. He served two terms as chairman of
the State Society's Business Committee and was reelected for the third
term two months before his sudden death, June 28, 1919. His services
in the New Brunswick hospitals were very strenuous and remarkable
in results. He was a manager several years and for two years chair-
man of the board of managers of the Boys' Home at Jamesburg : was a
director and vice-president of the People's Bank, a director of the New
Brunswick Trust Company and a member of the funding committee of
the managers of the New Brunswick Savings Institution. He served
three years as Sinking Fund Commissioner of the City. As a member
of the Advisory Medical Examining Board during the World War he
served so actively and faithfully that it is a question if it was one of the
factors contributing to his last illness. His death has been universally
mourned.
Henry Harrington Janeway was bom in New Brunswick in 1873;
graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1898. He
settled in practice in New Brunswick in 1902; removed to New York
City in 1907, where he practiced till a few weeks before his death. He
was a member of the New Jersey State and also of the New York State
Medical Societies; a Fellow of the American Medical Association; a
member of the National Society for Cancer Research; the National
Radium Society; the National Society for Experimental Medicine; the
New York Academy of Medicine and the Harvey Society. He was
attending surgeon and chief of the Radium Department of the Memorial
Hospital. His specialty was Cancer Therapy, of which disease he died
February i, 1921. He continued his membership in the Middlesex
County Medical Society till his death.
Bernard A. Daly was bom in New Brunswick, April 5, 1876 ; he studied
medicine and graduated from the University of Medicine, Richmond,
Virginia, in 1899. He located first at Harrison, New Jersey, was presi-
dent of the local health board during a severe epidemic of smallpox. He
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died at Newark from the effects of an infected wound of arm in operating
on a patient, whose life was saved at the expense of his own, November
2, 1903.
Other Deceased Physicians of Middlesex County, many of whom
were druggists as well as practicing physicians :
Drs. D. C. English, Sr., J. W. Meeker and David Stephens, New
Brunswick ; J. C. Albright and J. H. Price, South Amboy ; P. W. Brake-
ley, Dunellen. Many had very extensive town and country practice as
Drs. Ambrose Trcganowan and G. W. Stout, South Amboy ; H. S. Clow,
J. C. Holmes and H. C. S)rmmes, Cranbury ; R. J. Brumagen and H. B.
Gamer, Spotswood; A. P. Knappen, Jamesburg; S. M. Disbrow, Old
Bridge; C. H. Andrus, Frank Decker, Herman Gross, Metuchen; John
C. Thompson and H. B. Poole, South River; Lewis Drake, D. E. Decker
and S. P. Harned, Woodbridge; Wallace Coriell, Elias Runyon, A. S.
Titsworth and D. P. Vail, New Market and Dunellen ; H. Martyn Brace
and Henry M. Stone, Perth Amboy.
Besides the above, we have records of:
Drs. Josiah B. Andrews, L. Fred Baker, F. S. Barbarin, John J.
Bissett, L. S. Blackwell, Geo. E. Blackham, George W. Britton, Fred
W. Buckelew, Charles V. Buttler, John H. Carman, James Clark, F. F.
Corson, J. H. Crawford, Edward B. Dana, David Davis, Ireneas P.
Davis, John J. De Mott, Thomas T. Devan (Rev.), Lewis A. Hall,
Edward E. Haines, Theodore Hardenberg, John Helm, George J. Howell,
W. W. Hubbard, Eugene A. Hults, D. Brainerd Hunt, Ellsworth E.
Hunt, A. C. Hutton, Thomas L. Janeway, Cornelius Johnson, Nich.
Kaemerer, W. P. Keasbey, E. B. P. Kelly, A. S. Knight, William Knight,
H. D. B. Lefferts, J. W. Leip^hton, Henry Levy, Samuel Long, William
Mabon, J. I. Marcley, Caroline H. Marsh, William Martin, W. V. Mc-
Kenzie, William M. Moore, Lawrence O. Morgan, J. L. Mulford, Aza-
riah D. Newell, F. B. Norton, Henry T. Pierce, John Pierson, Moses
Pierson, Edward A. Reiley, Frederick Richmond, John B. Richmond,
H. D. Robinson, George H. Sears, A. Sophian, Clifford M. Stelle, Nelson
Stelle, Roland H. Stubbs, Benj. E. Tomlinson, J. L. Van Deventer,
Rush Van Dyke, D. Clark Van Deursen, John H. Van Deursen, J. S.
Van Marter, Garret I. Voorhees, Van Meulen, James B. Wain-
right, J. Leon White, W. S. Willis, William V. Wilson, C. E. Wood-
ward, Edwin B. Young.
A few of the above named doctors, after practicing in the county
several years, moved to other States where they practiced and died.
The following, among other matter, indicates the activities of mem-
bers of the Middlesex County Medical Society.
Military Hospital in New Brunswick — ^The "Pennsylvania Packet," June
17, 1779, had the following: We hear from New Brunswick in New
Jersey that out of upwards of 1,500 sick who were admitted in the Mili-
tary Hospital in that place since November last, only 22 have died. This
extraordinary success in the management of the sick (compared with
former years) has been justly ascribed, next to the diligence and care of
the surgeons, to the plentiful and punctual supplies of stores and neces-
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268 MIDDLESEX
saries of all kinds for the sick, by the present Purveyors of the Hospital.
— N. J. Archives, Vol 3, Second Series.
Perth Afnboy City Hospitd — ^This Hospital was organized in 1889.
It is governed by a Board of Directors of which Mr. S. Riddlestorffer
is president ; Adrian Lyon is treasurer ; I. R. Holt, secretary, and Miss
M. P. Blauvelt, R. N., is superintendent There were 1425 patients
admitted in 1^20; free patients, 210; pay patients, 1,215. There were
discharged: Cured, 968; improved, 309; unimproved, 53; deaths, 95;
remaining January i, 1921, 47. The cost per patient per day was $2.38.
There were 125 babies bom in 1920.
There is a Nurses' Training School from which 10 graduated last
year. There are 28 pupil nurses. The members of the Surgical Staff
are: Drs. J. G. Wilson, Dean, G. W. Tyrrell, F. C. Henry, M. S. Mein-
zer. Medical Staff: Drs. J. L. Lund, W. E. Ramsay, C. I. Silk and G.
W. Fithian. Specialists: Drs. J. L. MacDowell, Eye, Ear, Nose and
Throat ; C. I. Silk, Radiographer, and J. V. Shull, Anaesthetizer. There
is also a Consulting Staff : Drs. Ill, Lambert, Thompson, Booth, Brewer,
Reisman and Dwyer.
The New Brunswick Hospital — ^Ehiring the winter of 1883 the city
physicians provided a course of lectures on the subject: "First Aid to
the Injured" and as a result the Hospital Aid Association was formed.
The necessity of a Hospital was felt and in February, 1884, a number
of ladies met and organized an Association, "Whose object and aim
was the securing of a hospital for the City of New Brunswick," and in
March, 1885, the New Brunswick City Hospital was organized. A cot-
tage was hired in Commercial avenue and in 1887 a larger house was
secured arid a matron placed in charge. In 1888 the Directors raised
$3,000 to purchase a lot for a new hospital and Mrs. Grace T. Wells
erected thereon a fine building in memoiy of her husband, to be called —
The John Wells Memorial Hospital — ^The Board of Directors consisted
of John N. Carpenter, president; James Neilson, vice-president; Nahum
Kent, treasurer, and Miss Alice Campbell, secretary.
The Medical Staff consisted of Drs. H. R. Baldwin, N. Williamson,
C. H. Voorhees, D. C. English, F. M. Donohue and S. V. D. Clark, with
Dr. A. V. N. Baldwin, Curator.
In 19 16 the name of the hospital was changed and is now —
The Middlesex General Hospital—It has had a remarkably successful his-
tory under both recent names. A few years ago a large additional building
was erected. Two years ago a Victor Radiograph Machine was intro-
duced at a cost of nearly $2,000, contributed by the Medical Staff.
Recently Drs. Smith and Gutmann purchased sixty milligrams of radium
which will be used there.
The report for the year ending February 28, 1921, shows : In hospital
March i, 1920, number of patients, 51 ; admitted to wards during the
year 377, and to private rooms 474, a total of ^02 treated; births, 131.
Discharged: Cured, 699; improved, 104; unimproved, 20; died, 44.
Patients remaining in hospital February 28, 35.
The present Medical and Surgical Staff is : Drs. L. P. Runyon, presi-
dent ; B. Gutmann, vice-president ; F. L. Brown, secretary ; D. C. English,
consulting physician, with Drs. A. L. Smith, J. P. Schureman, F. E.
Riva, F. M, Hoffman, N. N. Forney, F. W. Scott, H. W. Nafey, D. L.
Morrison, B. M. Howley, J. F. Anderson, G. F. Leonard, and as dental
surgeons : E. S. Griggs, H. Iredell and F. L. Hindle.
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THE MEDICAL FRATERNITY 269
Last year the hospital met with a great loss in the death of the
president of the Board of Directors, who had served many years, Mr.
C. J. Carpender. Mr. William H. Leupp is now president of the Board,
and Miss E. B. Strong is secretary.
St. Peter^s General Hospital-^This hospital established thirteen years
ago has made an excellent record and its success has been due to a
considerable extent to the efforts of Monsignor O'Grady and Dr. Frank
M. Donohue, whose deaths two years ago have been keenly felt by the
hospital authorities and the public. The Thirteenth Annual Report of
the work done during the year 1920 has been issued. It shows one of
the busiest and most successful of its existence. 3,620 patients were
admitted — 1,740 males and 1,880 females. In addition there were 2,195
outside patients. There were discharged : Cured, 3,340 ; improved, 41 ;
unimproved, 21; deaths, 53; besides 57 that were in a dying condition
when admitted; 98 remained in the hospital December 31, 1920.
The average cost per day per patient was $1.96. There were 1,363
free patients, 2,061 pay and 196 half pay patients. There were 1,294
operations — major and minor. There were 249 births, 6 Cesarean sec-
tions. There is an excellent Training School for Nurses ; 7 graduated in
1920; there are now 7 in the senior class and 9 in the junior. The
interior management of the institution is in charge of the far famed
Grey Nurses of Montreal. About 21,000 patients have been admitted
and treated in this hospital since it was organized.
Gradwohl Laboratories — In order to carry out the American Medical
Association requirements, it was found that neither of the hospitals in
New Brunswick had an adequate laboratory. The Staff of the Middlesex
Hospital suggested that Dr. R. L. McKieman be made Urologist and
that he should obtain the Gradwohl Laboratories of which he should be
the Director, which he did. The chief aim and leading work he will
do is in assisting the physicians in making diagnoses by means of all
the up-to-date methods used in a modern laboratory, and giving every
aid by means of bacteriological, biological, chemical, histological and
serological analyses, particular stress to be laid on serological work,
performing the Wassermann and Hecht tests on every blood specimen,
so that no possible mistake will be made. As urologist Dr. McKiernan
has rendered good service in the Middlesex Hospital and he will do like
service in St. Peter's General Hospital, as well as assist the city physi-
cian generally.
Anti-Tuberculosis Clinics in New Brunswick and Perth Amboy were
opened in June, 1917, through the efforts of the State Tuberculosis
League, cooperating with the County Advisory Committee. In Perth
Amboy there are two clinics a week held at the City Hospital with Dr.
Charles I. Silk in charge. In New Brunswick the clinic is held once a
week at the State Clinic Rooms, adjoining the Middlesex General Hos-
pital, with Drs. F. L. Brown and Benj. Gutmann in charge.
The Perth Amboy Clinic report for the year 1920 is as follows : New
patients, 308; Clinic attendance— new, 200; old, 140; total, 340; deaths,
63; sent to Sanatoria: Bonnie Burn, iii; Glen Gardner, 3; total, 114;
sputum examinations were: positive, 13; negative, 87; total, 100; also
Von Pirquet tests: 48 positive, 8 negative, 5 doubtful, total 61 ; 15 visits
were made to schools. Two Registered Nurses are employed. The
Clinic is held at 217 Smith street.
The New Brunswick Clinic report for six months — ^June to December,
1920, was as follows: Calls from office, 1,013; new patients, 28; deaths,
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270 MIDDLESEX
13; clinic attendance, 73; sent to Sanatoria: Bonnie Burn, 5; White
Haven, i ; total, 6. The efficient nurse who was in charge the year before
left January i, 1920, and another could not be obtained until June, the
Clinic was thereby closed. From June, 191 7, to June, 1920— except the
6 months referred to, had 879 cases, of which 431 were positive, 415 nega-
tive and 33 suspicious.
Venereal Chnics — ^These are conducted under the auspices of the United
States Public Health Service, the State Board of Health, cooperating
with the local Health Board.
The New Brunswick Clinic was opened January 6, 1920, with Dr.
R. L. McKieman as Director, at the Middlesex General Hospital, and
notwithstanding some disfavor, it has steadily advanced, though the
need of a more active cooperation on the part of the city government
with the Health Officers, has been felt. During the year 1920 the record
has been as follows: Total number of cases of syphilis, 197; of gonor-
rhoea, 233; mixed cases, 12; total, 442; number of visits to the Clinic,
1,965. The results have been: Gonorrhoea cases absolutely cured, 53;
syphilis cases rendered non-infectious, 190; Wassermann tests, 112;
smears for gonococci examined, 281.
The Perth Amboy Clinic, with Dr. W. H. McCormick as Director,
is doing like work, and although the Clinic has had considerable difficulty
in perfecting organization,- it gives promfte of accomplishing a great
work. The figures of work done have not yet been published.
Baby Welfare Clinics — The Perth Amboy Qituc is held weekly, Wednes-
day, 10 to 12 A. M., at the Public Library. Dr. Wm. London in charge.
The report is: Number of babies ieixamih^, 150; number of visits to Uie
Clinic, 781. ^-
The New Brunswick Clinic is held weekly in the Washington Public
School building. It is in charge of Dr. E. Irving Cronk. There were
1,141 babies cared for during the year 1920 with no deaths. Weights
and measurements were taken and helpful advice given to mothers.
David C. English, M. D.
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Tf... ...;,,K
PUBlIv c.uRARY
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TOTTENVILLE FERRY
FERRY BOAT AT PERTH AMBOY
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CHAPTER XXIV.
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.
Perth Amboy and FtcifwVy— The manufacture of clay products has
always been one of the most important industries of the county, and
the most prominent figure in that branch of business was the late Alfred
Hall, of Perth Amboy, who was bom May 22, 1803, in Meriden, Con-
necticut. At an early age he went to Cleveland, Ohio, and for fifteen
years was successfully engaged in the manufacture of brick. During
that period, in 1842, he invented and patented a brick-moulding machine,
which was adopted generally by the trade and is still universally used
throughout the country. In 1845 he located in Perth Amboy and erected
a factory for the manufacture of fire-brick. In 1856 a portion of the
buildings were destroyed by fire, and were at once replaced by extensive
brick buildings containing many improvements. Rockingham and yel-
low ware and terra cotta were also made later on. In addition to the
Perth Amboy works, A. Hall & Sons had a similar plant of about the
same capacity, for the manufacture of fire-brick at Buffalo, New York,
and one at Towanda, Pennsylvania, for red brick, which produced
about 2,250,000 brick annually, one million of which were of the char-
acter of Philadelphia front brick. When in full force the three plants
produced about 5,000,000 fire-brick and 2,250,000 red brick annually.
Edward J., Mr. Hall's eldest son, was in charge of the Buffalo and
Towanda works.
Mr. Hall retired from the presidency of the Perth Amboy Terra Cotta
Company in 1880, and organized a company to erect new works, which
were completed about 1882, and were the most extensive of any in
the United States. In a letter to the State Geologist in 1881 he wrote:
"I am doing all I can to develop and bring into use the great varieties
of clay, which should be a great source of wealth to the State of New
Jersey. We have in our employ men of all nationalities, who are familiar
with the working of clay in all parts of the world, and their opinion is
unanimous that the red and other colored clays of New Jersey are
superior for making terra cotta to any in the world. There are also
many clays that are now considered worthless that show qualities that
I think will be of great value when applied to the uses for which they
are adapted. Perth Amboy is the natural centre for the manufacture
of architectural terra cotta, both on account of the abundance of the
raw material and the great facilities for shipping, the docks here having
been unimpeded by ice all through the last severe frost. The present
works cannot supply the increasing demand, the sales of the six months
ending December 31st, amounting to $72,916. January ist there were
orders exceeding $55,000, and several large works for which terra cotta
is specified and for which estimates have been given, aggregate nearly
$200,000 more. Perth Amboy ought to become as noted for terra cotta
as Trenton is for pottery."
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272 MIDDLESEX
Mr. Hall was connected with the Terra Cotta Works until a short
time before his death. The manufacture of brick and terra cotta has
been benefited to an almost unlimited extent by Mr. Hall's inventions
and improvements. He was a broad-minded, public-spirited citizen, and
took a great interest in public affairs, iiaving three times been elected
mayor of the city, and in 1882 was president of the Fire-Brick Makers'
Association of the United States.
Henry Maurer, a native of Germany, came to Perth Amboy in 1875
from New York, where he had been in business for many years, and
purchased the fire-brick works of Joseph Forbes, near the mouth of
Woodbridge Creek. He expended over $50,000 in enlarging and im-
proving the plant, and proceeded to manufacture fire-brick, red brick,
gas retorts, furnace blocks, tile, hollow brick and French roofing tile.
The works are now equal to any of the kind in the country, and contain
many of Mr. Maurer's valuable inventions. He died a number of years
ago, and the business is conducted by his sons.
About 1883, Edward M. Keasbey, who had been mining clay for
several years in what is now known as Keasbey, in connection with his
brother, A. Q. Keasbey, of Newark, erected a factory where they manu-
factured building brick, and later on fire-proofing materials. This was
the forerunner of a large plant consisting of three extensive buildings,
and a similar one at Lorillard, in Monmouth county, now owned and
operated by the National Fire-Proofing Company, of Pittsburgh, of
which Henry M. Keasbey, a son of one of the brothers above mentioned,
is president. This corporation owns and operates thirty plants and does
an immense business.
Adam Weber, of New York, erected large works at Keasbey about
thirty years ago, and manufactured fire-brick, gas retorts, etc. In 1905
he sold the plant to the Didier-March Company, who operated it until
a few months ago, when it passed into the hands of another company.
The American Encaustic Tiling Company began business in 1913,
manufacturing wall tile, and also dealing in decorative tile in colors,
employing about ninety men. The officers are : Emil Kohler, president,
and H. D. Lillibridge, vice-president and general superintendent.
The C. Pardee Company purchased the Eagleswood property about
1900, and erected Steel and Enameled Tile Works. The former has since
passed into the control of other parties, who continue the business and
retain the Pardee name.
Abel Hansen does a large business at Fords, manufacturing bath
tubs, tanks, basins, toilet fixtures, etc., all of porcelain, using the native
clays.
The Roessler & Hasslacher Chemical Company, with offices corner
of High and Fayette streets, commenced business in Brooklyn in 1882,
and removed to Perth Amboy two years later. The first property the
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MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES 273
firm purchased was the old cork factory of William King, at the foot
of Commerce street. From that small beginning has arisen the large
plant, fronting on Staten Island Sound, and composed of forty buildings.
All varieties of chemical goods are manufactured, and about four hun-
dred men and boys are employed. The present large and beautiful
office building was erected in 1910. In addition to the large business
done in the United States, the firm has a very considerable trade with
Mexico and South America. A New York office is maintained at 609
Sixth avenue. The officers are Franz Roessler, president; William H.
Hamm, vice-president and treasurer; and P. Schleussner, secretary.
The Standard Underground Cable Company was established on High
street in 1898, the cable department being first installed. In 1902 the rod,
wire, weather-proof and rubber departments were added. From 1914-
1918 the plant was largely employed by the United States government
and produced vast quantities of tubes and other war materials. The
daily output is from 300,000 to 400,000 pounds of various products. The
average number of employes, under normal conditions, is about 1,500.
The executive offices are in Pittsburgh, and the present officials are as
follows: J. W. Marsh, president (from the foundation of the corpora-
tion); P. H. W. Smith, of Pittsburgh, C. J. Marsh, of New York, and
C. C. Baldwin, of Perth Amboy, vice-presidents ; C. M. Hagen, of Pitts-
burgh, secretary and treasurer ; and H. W. Fisher, assistant secretary.
The Perth Amboy Dry Dock Company, with W. Parker Runyon,
president, and Charles D. Snedeker, secretary and treasurer, was incor-
porated in 1887, and developed from a marine railway established in
i860. Since the incorporation, four dry docks have been installed, with
a capacity of 2,500 tons, eight piers, 370 to 400 feet long, floating equip-
ment, electric and air-welding plants, complete power equipment, der-
ricks, blacksmith and machine shops, sawmills, etc. The average
number of employes is between three hundred and four hundred.
Adjoining frontage, recently purchased, gives the plant a water front
of over one thousand feet. The Emergency Fleet Corporation of the
United States Government Shipping Board has been building a number
of modern drydocks, with a view of placing them with reliable estab-
lished shipyards for operation, giving the shipyard owners the privilege
of purchasing them upon reasonable terms. The Perth Amboy Com-
pany was awarded one of these docks, with a capacity of one thousand
tons, and it is now installed.
The Raritan Copper Works, on the site of the old John R. Watson
fire-brick works, was erected in 1898 by the Lewissohn Brothers, of
New York, and the first copper was produced in April of the following
year. The business consists of the refining of copper and its by-products
— silver, gold, platinum, palladium, selenium and tellurium. Several
yeiars later the works passed into the control and became a subsidiary
IIid-18
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274 MIDDLESEX
corporation of the Anaconda Mining Company. The average number
of employees is 1400. Mr. A. C. Clark is the general manager.
The American Smelting and Refining Company established a large
plant fronting on the Staten Island Sound in 1895 for the refining of
lead and copper ores, and other branches of the business. In conse-
quence of the inability to secure a sufficient number of employees about
one-half of the plant is closed at the present writing, the working force
being only about seven hundred; formerly 1,800 men and boys were
employed. J. F. Austin is the general manager..
New Brunswick — ^The wall paper business of Janeway & Company, of
New Brunswick, was started by John P. Hardenbergh in 1844, m* two
small buildings on Water street, the wall paper being printed on hand
presses. In 1846, Henry L. Janeway, who was bom in Philadelphia and
came to New Brunswick in 1833, bought an interest in the business,
and the firm introduced the first machine for printing wall paper. It
was made in the machine shop of Haley Fiske, of the city, and was a
very crude affair. Later on an improved machine was made in the
locomotive works at Paterson, which printed four colors and worked
very satisfactorily. In those early days Mr. Janeway invented the plan
for a machine for hanging wall paper while in the drying process, by
passing it over ropes on grooved pulleys. It was made in William
Waldron's machine works, in the city, and remained a secret for eight
years, although it was never patented. Later on a foreman, who had
been in the employ of Hardenbergh & Janeway, introduced it into other
factories. The plan has been greatly improved since then, but the main
idea remains the same. About 1850, William R. Janeway, brother of
Henry L., bought Mr. Hardenbergh's interest, the firm became Janeway
& Company, and an office was opened in Maiden Lane, New York.
Steam power was installed in 1846, and many additions were made to
the factory, which were continued from year to year until 1876, when
the storehouse on Water street was built, and the plant continually
enlarged until it covered the entire block. The works were destroyed
by fire, February 7, 1885, the warehouse alone being saved. Rebuilding
was immediately commenced, and the new factory was occupied October
1st of the same year. The main building had five floors, 65x315 feet, and
the warehouse four floors, 70x160 feet, with a frontage on the Delaware
and Raritan canal of 315 feet. The equipment included engines of 120
horsepower, boilers of 240 horsepower, and sixteen printing presses,
and employed a working force of over 200. The capacity of the works
was from ten to twelve million rolls of paper annually. The paper
was sold all over the United States and Canada, and over twenty-five
salesmen were employed. Mr. Janeway's generosity to the employees
during the winter of the great fire, when the factory was destroyed,
was most praiseworthy. Among other benefactions, he replaced the
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MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES 275
destroyed tools of the print cutters, which were very valuable. He
died in 1909, and the business and factory were sold in 1914. He was
a trustee of the First Presbyterian Church for thirty-six years, trustee
of Rutgers College since 1862, member of the Board of Education for
twenty-two years and its president for seven years, director of the New
Bnmswick Mutual Fire Insurance Company, charter member of the
company who built the City Water Works, member of the Water Board
for four years, and a bank and gas company director for forty-two years.
In 1863, Belcher & Nicholson, the latter being a former member of
the firm of Janeway & Company, established a wall paper factory in
New Brunswick, manufacturing chiefly bronzes and what are techni-
cally known as French drawn stripes and mouldings. In 1870, Charles
J. Carpender, and in 1872, Colonel Jacob J. Janeway, came into the
business, and the firm of Janeway & Carpender was formed. A factory
165x50 feet was erected, fifty employees engaged, and the business greatly
enlarged, including the printing of blanks, satins, tints, gold and silver
paper. The great specialty is the French drawn stripes and mouldings.
The former are used in paneling a room in imitation of fresco, the
mouldings being surmounted by caps and comers to complete the panels.
The drawn stripes, which are made by but one other firm in the country,
are combinations of shades and stripes, which take the place of figures
in wall paper. Over seven hundred and fifty styles of paper are kept
in stock, and salesmen travel through the United States and Canada,
selling a vast amount of goods. Mr. Carpender died several months ago.
United States Rubber Company — In 1839, Christopher Meyer, a native
of Hanover, Germany, came to New Brunswick, to put up for Horace
H. Day a steam engine and machinery for the first manufacture of
rubber goods in the city. Mr. Day was then having carriage and
rubber shoes failures. Mr. Meyer made his first essay at manufacturing
under the Goodyear patent, inventing and improving machinery, and
perfecting the progress of rubber shoe making. He discovered a plan
by which the disagreeable odor of the rubber was almost entirely elimi-
nated, and the cloth and shoes rendered more durable, a plan which
was only surpassed by the subsequent discovery of the process of vul-
canization. Mr. Day refused to recognize the value of this process,
and the two parted. For about two years Mr. Meyer operated a small
plant at the Landing Bridge, and in 1843 J- C. Ackerman, of New Bruns-
wick, proposed to build for him a -factory on the site of the old Milltown
grist mill, which was done, James Bishop joining with Mr. Meyer in
the management. Shirred goods, carriage cloth and rubber shoes were
manufactured, and also rubber pontoon bridges for United States
government use in the Mexican War, until 1845, when the factory was
destroyed by fire, including Mr. Meyer's residence, leaving him almost
penniless. John R. Ford, a New York merchant, came to his aid, and
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276 MIDDLESEX
together they rebuilt the works, and the firm of Ford & 'Company con-
tinued business until 1850, when a joint stock company was organized
under the general law under the name of the Ford Rubber &>mpany.
Four years later the name was changed to the Meyer Rubber Company,
and continued as such, with Mr. Meyer as president and Mr. Ford
as treasurer. In 1877 he organized the New Jersey Rubber Shoe Com-
pany, erected large buildings in Little Burnet street, and manufactured
boats, shoes, canes, etc. He also established the Novelty Rubber
Works in Neilson street, above the railroad bridge, for the manufacture
of hard rubber. The goods manufactured amounted to about $600,000
annually, and included every possible variety of hard rubber goods,
as follows : Buttons in great variety, smokers* requisites, as pipes, pipe-
stems and bowls in great diversity of shapes and sizes; pipe and
tobacco boxes, cigar cases, match boxes, etc, crochet hooks, knitting
pins and tatting needles, and a variety of articles used in trimming ladies*
dresses. Round rulers of all sizes, also hotel, restaurant, billiard, poker
and jewelers' checks, elegant canes, and many other goods under the
name of Yankee Notions. These articles were shipped to all parts of
the world. Germany and England were a large market, also Cape
Town, South Africa, Australia, Central and South America, in additicm
to the large quantities sold to pipe manufacturers and dealers in this
country. The rubber business is still continued in New Brunswick
under the title of the United States Rubber Company, with James Desh-
ler as president.
Mr. Meyer became interested in the rubber business in New Bnms-
wick when it was in its in&mcy, and to him alone is largely due its
development, which has made such ra^id progress among the most
important manufoctures of the country. This interest increased under
his management and superior ability from a business of a few thousand
dollars until it reached several millions annually. He may well be
classed among the self-made business men, and a shining example of
what ambition and a will to succeed under adverse circumstances may
achieve.
In 1887 Robert W., James W. and Edward M. Johnson secured the
old Parsons Mill property, near the Pennsylvania railroad, and b^an
the manufacture of absorbent and surgical dressing materials. In 1893
the old Novelty Button Works was purchased, and in 1900 the cotton
mill was erected. The property of the Norfolk and New Brunswick
Hosiery Company was acquired in 1908, and the company has been
continually enlarging and improving the plant. In 1897, having had
much difficulty in shipping their goods by rail, the company secured
two steam freight boats, which from that time to the present have made
daily trips to New York during the navigable season. During the late
European War the company* under the direction of the Red Cross,
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MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES 277
supplied the armies of the United States and the Allies with all the
absorbent cotton, gauze bandages and other surgical supplies that were
needed. The average number of employes is 2,000. Robert W. John-
son, Sr., the president, died in 1910. The present officers are James W.
Johnson, president; Frank Jones and Robert W. Johnson, vice-presi-
dents; Robert C. Nicholas, secretary; and Charles A. McCormick,
treasurer.
The NeversHp Manufacturing Company was organized in February,
1896, with Robert W. Johnson, president; James W. Johnson, vice-
president; and William J. McCurdy, secretary and treasurer, for the
manufacture of horseshoes, calks and tools. On May 29, 1917, the
Manufacturers' Iron and Steel Company was incorporated, which
included the NeversHp Manufacturing Company, of New Brunswick;
the NeversHp Manufacturing Company, of Montreal, Canada; and the
Bryden Horseshoe Company, of Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, with the
following officers : James W. Johnson, president and general manager ;
Robert C. Nicholas, vice-president and secretary ; George F. McCormick,
treasurer; and H. Morley Holton, assistant treasurer; directors: J. W.
Johnson, R. C. Nicholas, G. F. McCormick, Paul E. Miller, H. Morley
Holton, Sidney B. Carpender and Royal W. Mattice. The average
number of employees in the New Brunswick plant is 125, and only
adjustable calks and tools are made.
The Consolidated Fruit Jar Company was organized December 14,
1871, in its present building on Water street, by R. W. Booth, of New
York, for the manufacture of sheet and cast metal goods, and at first
made principally fruit-jar tops and can screws. Later on, bottle caps,
collapsible tubes, oil cans and sprinkler tops for toilet waters and per-
fumes were manufactured. The average number of employees is 330,
and the output is disposed of to manufacturers and jobbers. The officers
are: Henry B. Kent, president; Charles P. Buckley, vice-president, and
Benj. W. Erickson, secretary and treasurer.
In 1852 George Buttler and John Y. Brokaw began to manufacture
sash doors, blinds, shelving, stair work, counters, office fixtures, etc.,
and many years after the firm became the Buttler-Howell Company,
with the following officers: Howard V. Buttler, president; Abram S.
Howell, vice-president and treasurer; Robert V. Buttler, secretary, and
G. Harold Buttler, superintendent. The firm makes a specialty of lay-
ing hardwood floors and the interior finishing of houses. A stockroom
for the sale of goods is maintained in Elizabeth.
One of the oldest industries in the city was the carriage factory of
John Van Nuis, built by him in 1810 on Albany street. The wood-
work, blacksmithing, trimming and painting were done in separate
buildings, with a repository in front. In 1813 he shipped some car-
riages to Norfolk, Virginia, and found a ready sale, and finally established
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278 MIDDLESEX
an agency there. His sons made trips through the South and eventually
extended the trade to North and South Carolina. In 1840 a repository
was opened at Mobile, where carriages were sold over a territory of
500 miles around the city. In 1858, when the Civil War appeared immi-
nent, the Southern business was abandoned. The firm lost much money
and was never able to regain its immense business. The factory was
closed in 191 5.
Other manufactures are mentioned in the chapters on Woodbridge,
Piscataway, East Brunswick, and the Boroughs of South River, Hel-
metta, Jamesburg, Sayreville, Roosevelt and Middlesex, and the city
of South Amboy.
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PL'L.... ^...A.\K>i
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FALLS RARITAX RIVER, NEW BRUNSWICK
PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD BRIDGE, NEW BRUNSWICK
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CHAPTER XXV.
CITY OP NEW BRUNSWICK.
In the seventeenth century, where New Brunswick now stands there
was a dense cedar forest interspersed with a swamp. A mystic tradition
which the ancient records do not verify states that the first inhabitant
Daniel Cooper, settled where the postroad afterwards crossed the river,
and kept a ferry. This Cooper was one of the early purchasers and
settlers under the proprietors, and his name appears as such on the
schedule to the Elizabethtown Bill. This record states that his tract
of land of two thousand acres was on the "Passack" river, and there-
fore the conclusion is drawn that it did not extend as far west as the
Raritan river, therefore he had no connection with the early settlement
of New Brunswick.
In Watson's "Annals of Philadelphia" is preserved an item from
William Edmundson's Journal. An early traveler in East Jersey in 1675,
he made a journey southward from New York, and in going from Mid-
dletown to the Delaware river, accompanied by an Indian guide, they
lost their way in the wilderness, and were obliged to return to the
Raritan river to enable them to discover the proper course. He tells
of coming to a "small landing from New York," which was no doubt
the crossing of the path where afterwards Inian's Ferry was established.
These early travelers wended their way along a small path, with no
tame animal in sight, kindling in the wilderness a fire by the side of
which they slept, and finally reaching Delaware Falls, now the site of
the city of Trenton.
It was on November 10, 1681, John Inian and company bought two
lots which form the principal site of the city of New Brunswick. The
tract thus purchased had a mile of river front and was two miles in
depth. Inian, in connection with Joseph Benbridge and others, peti-
tioned the Governor and Council on March i, 1682, for a patent of the
lands they had purchased from the Indians. The warrant was for six
thousand acres but it appears that the surveyor had laid out 7,680 acres
without the reservation of the seventh that was the proportion of the
proprietors. The Council, however, determined that the petitioner?
should have patents for the land, John Inian to receive one thousand
acres, and all others five hundred acres each on payment of one half-
penny an acre, the overplus of the tract to be appropriated to the pro-
prietors in lieu of their seventh. A map made in 1685 by John Reid,
at that time first deputy surveyor under the proprietors, gives the situ-
ation and outlines of nineteen lots designated as the "Raritan Lots,"
l3ring on the mouth of South river, past the present site of New Bruns-
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wick to Bound Brook, seventeen of which have each about a half a mile
of river front by about two miles in depth, and extending in a south-
westerly direction inland. Beginning at the mouth of South river, the
first of these lots is marked to "Law Baker, and contains 1,300 acres;
the next to "C. P. Sommans,'" 1,000 acres ; the next to "Governor Bar-
clay," 500 acres; the next to C. Longfield, 500 acres; the two next to
"John Inians." each 640 acres. This last is shown on the map to be the
"fording place," designated by a hand pointing towards it, also by the
word "falles" written opposite. This was the original site of New
Brunswick ; the falles were a rocky rift extending across the river, mak-
ing the stream so shallow it could be easily crossed at low water in a
wagon or on horseback.
Soon after Inian's settlement, he operated a ferry, and on April 19,
1686, he addressed a communication to the Governor and Council of
East Jersey, stating that at considerable expense he had made a road
to Delaware Falls from his house on the Raritan, which was six miles
shorter than a former road, and had furnished himself with all accommo-
dations as boats, canoes, etc., for ferrying over the Raritan river all those
traveling with horses and cattle. He desired the board to settle the
rates to be charged for transportation across the Raritan, but whether
it was legally established as a ferry at this time is doubtful. The pro-
prietors, however, on November 2, 1697, granted the ferry for the lives
of Inian and his wife and to the survivor at a rental of five shillings
sterling per annum.
The place continued to be called Inian's Ferry, though it was vari-
ously corrupted into Inions, Innions, Onions and Inyance, in the public
acts and records as late as 1723. In that year, there being only one
street in the hamlet, called Broad street and now Burnet street, the county
court was petitioned by Henry Freeman, William Harris, Timothy
Bloomfield and Dirck Van Aersdalen, asking to lay out a road and two
streets.
John Inian was unquestionably a man of some consequence in the
community. Besides being an associate justice of the court, he was a
member of Governors Hamilton's and Basse's councils, and was often
designated in the records as "Captain John Inians."
The earliest use of the name New Brunswick is found in the minutes
of the county court, April 7, 1724, when two surveyors of the roads and
two constables were appointed. After this date it ceased to be called
by the name of Inian's. Though this was ten years after the accession
of the House of Brunswick to the throne of Great Britain, it is pre-
sumable that the future city was named in its honor. At this early
period of settlement the population was very small, although it was
beginning to overshadow the older settlements of Woodbridgc, Perth
Amboy and Piscataway, and its importance as a commercial center was
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 281
at least flattering. The adjacent territory was rapidly filling up with
settlers, and quoting James Alexander, who settled at Inian's Ferry in
1715, there were at that time only four or five houses in the thirty miles
between Inian's Ferry and Falls of the Delaware (Trenton). Fifteen years
later there was almost a continuous line offences and houses of farm-
ers engaged in raising wheat, and as New Brunswick was the nearest
landing, it became the store house for their produce. This caused the
embyro town to increase in population, and a plot of ground in the
center of the village commanded as high a price as the same size lot in
the heart of New York City.
About this period several Dutch families immigrated from Albany,
New York, bringing with them building material and locating along the
public road. They were men of considerable property and enterprise;
prominent amongst them were Dirck Schuyler, Hendrick Van Deursen,
Dirck Van Veghten, Abraham Schuyler, John Ten Broeck, Nicholas
Van Dyke, and Dirck Van Alen. The arrival of these Dutch settlers
gave a fresh impulse to trade. The principal streets were Burnet, Water
and Albany, with a few buildings on Church, the inhabitants living
along the river as far south as Sonnian's Hill, extending north a short
distance above the ferry; the increased population and activity resulted
in the incorporation in 1730 of the township of New Brunswick.
Peter Kalm, a professor of the University of Abo in Swedish Finland,
who visited North America in 1748 as a naturalist, under the auspices of
the Swedish Royal Academy of Science, gives this description of New
Brunswick :
About noon we arrived at New Brunswick, a pretty little town in a valley on die
west side of the river Raritan. On account of its low situation it cannot be seen coming
from Pennsylvania before arriving at the top of the hill which is close to it The town
extends nortii and south along the river. The town-house makes a pretty good appear-
ance. Hie town has only one street lengthwise, and at its northern extremity there is a
street across. Both of these are of considerable length. One of the streets is almost
entirely inhabited by Dutchmen who came hidier from Albany, and for that reason they
call it Alb^iy street On the road from Trenton to New Brunswick I never saw any
place in America, the towns excepted, so well peopled.
The greater part of New Brunswick's trade is to New York, which is about forty
English miles distant To that place they send com, flour in great quantities, bread, sev-
eral other necessaries, a great quantity of linseed, boards, timber, wooden vessels, and all
sorts of carpenter's work. Several small yachts are every day going backward and for-
ward between diese two towns. The inhabitants likewise get a considerable profit from
die travelers who every hour pass through on the high road.
Notwithstanding all this, the embyro town must have been of very
diminutive proportions, for a little over a quarter of a century later,
in fact a year before the opening of the Revolutionary War, John Adams,
afterwards President of the United States, describes it as follows:
"Went to view the village of New Brunswick. There is a Church of
England, a Dutch church and a Presbyterian church in this town. There
is some little trade here ; small craft can come up to this town. We saw
a few small sloops. The river is very beautiful. There is a store build-
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282 MIDDLESEX
ing for barracks,* which is tolerably handsome; it is about the size of
Boston jail. Some of the streets are paved, and there are three or
four handsome houses ; only about one hundred and fifty families in the
town."
The granting of a Royal city charter to New Brunswick, December 30,
1730, established two cities in Middlesex county, which was at that time
the only county in America to embrace within its limits chartered munici-
palities. It was not for the growing density of population that there
was a demand for the forming of cities, it was not a result of a necessity,
the real movement being for an essential unity, which was evidenced
by the fact that a greater part of these cities were in the middle of the
colonies, the only notable exceptions being Annapolis and Albany. The
first corporation seal of the new city is described as follows : On the right
side of the seal, the goddess of agricultural bounty is represented by
a sheaf of wheat alongside a pair of scales; the motto reads Alma sed
Alequa, signifying "kindly but just." On the left side appears a ship
riding at anchor in the Raritan, typifying commerce. The words Laeta
revertor may be freely translated "I am glad to return home."
The petitioners for the Royal Charter were Thomas Farmar, Jacob
Okey, James Hude, Dolin Hegerman, Lawrence Williamson, Duncan
Hutchinson, Derrick Schuyler, William Okey, Paul Miller, William
Williamson, Abraham Bennet, Cort Voorhees, James Neilson, John
Balding, besides others. The boundaries were described as all that
tract of land beginning at the mouth of South river upon the bounds
of the city and precincts of Perth Amboy, and from thence following
the said bounds up the said river unto the post road that leads from
Perth Amboy to Burlington, and along said road to Milston brook or
river from thence down the same brook or river as it runs into the
country road that leads from Trenton to Inian's Ferry, thence easterly
along the said road unto a brook called the Mile run about a mile dis-
tant from said ferry, thence down the said brook as it runs (including
the same) unto the mouth thereof where it empties itself into Raritan
river, thence on a line to the north side of the said river, thence down
the said river as it runs (including the same to high water mark on the
northeasterly side thereof) unto the bounds of Perth Amboy aforesaid,
and from thence along the said bounds to the point of beginning.
The charter appointed Thomas Farmar mayor, and a board of alder-
men, consisting of William Cox, Jacob Okey, Dolin Hegeman, William
Cheesman, Josiah Davison and Law Williamson. There was another
corporated body called in the charter "assistants," but known as the
Common Council. The members appointed for this board were John
Thomson, Cort Voorhees, Minne Voorhees, Henry Longfield, William
Williamson and John Van Dyck ; James Neilson was made clerk ; Evan
*The barracks were located on Oeorare street, between Bayard and Paterson
streets.
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 283
Drummond, sheriflF; Alexander Moore, treasurer; Thomas Marshall,
coroner; John Dally to be sergeant of the mace, the mayor to have the
honor of having a mace borne before him. The overseers of the poor
were John Van Nuys, Daniel Fitch and John Stevens. David Lee and
Michael Moore were made constables. Elections were to be held annu-
ally on the second Thursday in April, although it reads in original
document the second Tuesday. The first meeting held under the city
charter was on March 16, 1730-1. Among the early ordinances passed
in the first score of years of the city government was a curfew law for-
bidding a negro, mulatto or Indian slave above the age of fourteen in
the streets after ten o'clock, unless with a certificate from master or
mistress, or carrying a lantern with a lighted candle; a market place
was appointed under the court room; hucksters were not to sell until
the first two hours of the market had expired. Viewers of chimneys
were appointed to prevent fire; no hay, straw, shingles or shavings of
wood were to be within six inches of any chimney. Constables were
to make strict search and inquiries about strangers, and furnish the
mayor with a list of their names. Children and servants were forbidden
to play on the Lord's Day.
The paving of streets early engaged the attention of city govern-
ment, the firing of guns and throwing of squibs or other fireworks in
the streets was strictly prohibited; citizens were required to provide
leather buckets to be used in case of fire. The curfew law for slaves
was amended in 1738, fixing the hour at nine instead of ten o'clock.
Citizens were forbidden to entertain or lodge any stranger for the space
of twenty-four hours unless they notified the authorities ; every violation
of this ordinance was subject to a fine of twenty shillings. The taverns
were prohibited from selling liquid refreshments on the Lord's Day.
A market house, thirty feet in length and fourteen feet in width, was
built in 1743 by subscriptions. Tuesdays and Saturdays were designated
as market days. The following year a night watch was established from
nine o'clock in the evening until daybreak. The venerable Thomas
Farmar continued to occupy the mayoralty chair until 1747, when he
was succeeded by James Hude. The city at about this time provided
a fire engine which had been purchased in New York City. James Hude
continued in the office of mayor until 1762. A new charter was granted
the city by George III. on February 12, 1763, but devoid of its legal
verbiage there is little diflference in its importance from the one secured
from George II., thirty-three years before. The third occupant of the
mayoralty chair was William Ouke or Oake, who administered the
duties of the office until his death in 1778. The next executive officer of
the city was William Harrison, who served as mayor until the adoption
of the new charter.
At the outbreak of the Revolution, the citizens of New Jersey assem-
bled at New Brunswick for the purpose of formulating plans for the
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284 MIDDLESEX
protection and support of the new-bom Republic. The old town on
the Raritan was honored by being the meeting place of the first Provin-
cial Council of the colony. After this meeting the name of New Bruns-
wick hardly appears on the pages of the country's history. The city,
however, played its part in the stirring events of the time. It harbored
within its walls an element, wealthy and aristocratic, who exerted so
overshadowing an influence over their less fortunate neighbors that it
was impossible to tell who were for or against the patriotic cause.
There were many who were avowed Tories, and a number of citizens
who took the oath of allegiance proved treacherous to the cause they
had sworn to support. Laying as it did in the path of the two armies
crossing and recrossing New Jersey, with the varying fortunes of war,
it suffered to an extent which few cities were subjected. The winter
of 1776-77 found it in possession of a large force of the British army,
with Lord Howe, its commander-in-chief, his headquarters being on
Burnet street, in the Neilson house, while the Hessian commander, De-
Heister, occupied the Van Nuise house on Queen street. The hill beyond
the Theological Seminary was fortified ; a post erected at Raritan Land-
ing ; another two miles below the city on Bennet's Island. The British
officers were quartered upon the inhabitants; citizens compelled to
abandon their residences ; business was suspended ; schools and churches
broken up— the whole town being under the sway of the enemy. The
British remained in possession about six months. Lord Cornwallis having
command of the post. In the winter of 1777 the British were cut off
from the base of their supplies at Amboy, and a fleet was started up
the Raritan to relieve their necessities* The Americans planted a
battery of six guns below New Brunswick that destroyed five of the
boats, the remainder returning in a crippled condition to Amboy. Gen-
eral Howe at this time made an unsuccessful attempt to open communi-
cation by land. The farmers throughout the neighborhood were com-
pelled to deliver over their stores to the enemy ; buildings were fired, and
barns torn down to supply lumber for the construction of a temporary
bridge over the Raritan ; and most wanton cruelties were inflicted. The
British were not, however, allowed to remain in undisturbed possession
of the city. Colonels Neilson and Taylor continually harrassed them.
The former organized a secret expedition against Bennett's Island. With
a picked command of two hundred men, sometime before daybreak on
February 18. 1777, he surprised the British garrison, capturing one
captain, several subordinate officers, and fifty-five privates, besides a
quantity of munitions of war. The British finally in the summer of
1777 evacuated New Brunswick.
The romantic exploits of those who have been named by a historian
as the "Commanders of New Brunswick's Navy in the War of the Revo-
lution," had their effect on the British forces. Prominent among these
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 285
was William Marriner, a shoemaker by trade, who at the outbreak of
hostilities joined Lord Stirling's regiment. Being of a daring and adven-
turous spirit, he was given full swing in his operations to harrass the
British. His success was phenomenal on June 11, 1777, when with
twenty-six picked men he crossed from New Brunswick to Flatbush
in two flat bottom boats and made a night attack, capturing Sherbrooke
and Bache, two noted Tories. Numerous other sorties were made by
Marriner on Flatbush, and captures of noted Tories, specie, and other
property. He kept up this method of warfare until he was captured
and paroled, his exchange being eflFected by Colonel Simcoe, who ex-
plained to General Clinton, the British commander, that Marriner had once
saved his life when a soldier was about to bayonet him as he lay sense-
less on the field of battle. The capture and parole of Marriner removed
him from all active participation in any more raids. He lived to a g^een
old age, and in his later years kept a public house on John street, near
Nassau street, New York City, where he died in 1814, aged eighty-five
years, from injuries by being thrown from his wagon.
Worthy successors of Captain Marriner were one of his associates,
Captain Dickie, and Captain Adam Hyler. The latter was one of the
most daring American officers in this part of the country, having the
rare faculty of inspiring his men with his own spirit of venture and
daring. His usual plan was to glide out of his hiding place, pass quickly
down the river, make his captures, and return. The enemy, having
heavier vessels, did not dare to follow him, owing to the shallow and
treacherous channel of the river. Amongst his many exploits mention
is made of the following: On the night of April 15, 1781, he brought
the Hessian Major Moncreif and an ensign, with their servants, from
Long Island. The following week he captured the pilot boat of Captain
David Morris, and two other boats between Robin's Reef and Yellow
Hook. Two of his whale boats visited Nicholas Schenck, a Tory, living
three miles south of Flatbush, carrying off plate and money. Two
months later he again visited Long Island, capturing Colonel Lott and
two slaves; the former was supposed to be rich, and though his cup-
boards were searched, little silver was obtained, but two bags were
taken supposed to contain about $3,000, but on opening them they
yielded only half pennies belonging to a church at Flatbush. The British
were determined to capture Huyler, and on January 7, 1782, dispatched a
command in six boats under Captain Beckwith. They landed at New
Brunswick at five o'clock the following morning and captured all of
Hyler's boats. This was a hard blow to the venturesome captain, but
he immediately rebuilt his little navy, and early in June he was back
at his old tricks. He captured two fishing boats near the Narrows, and
on July 21, with Captain Dickie and three twenty-four oared boats,
attempted to capture a British galley at Princess Bay. This proved
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286 MIDDLESEX
unsuccessful, and was his last raid, as his death occurred September 6,
1782, after a tedious and painful illness, the cause of which was an
accidental wound in the knee received while cleaning his gun. His
death removed the principal leader of this band of free lances. His
place was taken by Captain Storer, who promised to become a genuine
successor of Hyler, but the spirit of venture in the men seemed to have
died out with the death of their leader; they either went into the regu-
lar service or drifted to other scenes of excitement; it was not Icmg
before New Brunswick's small but active and destructive navy became
a matter of unrecorded history.
In the first charter obtained from the State Assembly in 1784, New
Brunswick was raised to the dignity of a city. Within its limits were
the present city and townships of North and East Brunswick. From
1784 to 1801, New Brunswick was governed by a president, register,
four directors and six assistants, all twelve of whom constituted a single
chamber known as the common council. They were elected by the
people, but by a new charter obtained in 1801, the governor and legisla-
ture appointed a mayor, recorder and three aldermen, holding office for
five years, and meeting together in common council, with six councilmen
elected annually by popular vote. The mayor had some judicial author-
ity, presiding over the mayor's court; the recorder had about the same
jurisdiction as at the present time; the aldermen until 1838 had the
criminal authority of the present justice of the peace.
At the opening of the nineteenth century the city of New Brunswick
was noted as a shipping and commercial point. Among the early ship-
owners was John Dennis, whose place of business was on Little Burnet
street ; his sloops were named "Cluster Valle," "May," "Elizabeth," and
"General Lee." We find also the "Polly," owned by Bamet D. Kline;
the "Catherine," a sloop of forty-five tons burthen, whose master was
James Richardson. The "Sally" of forty tons had as master John Voor-
hees. A larger sloop was the "Maria," Simon Hillyer, master; one of
thirty-four tons burthen, the "Ranger," was in charge of Caleb Anthony.
The names of some of the other sloops were Duy Knick's boat, "Ger-
natia," "The Hope for Peace," and "Independence." "The Neptune," a
schooner, Andrew Brown, master, was succeeded in 1784 by the "Poet
Moses Guest." In 1799 the "Hannah," a sloop of forty-five tons, had for
master John Brush ; the "Eliza," commanded by James Richmond, was
a sloop of fifty-nine tons burthen. During the early part of the cen-
tury the "Lawrence," owned by Peter I. Nevius, was in the carrying
trade ; she was too large to navigate the Raritan above the city. These
vessels made voyages to the Bermudas, Bahamas, Jamaica, and His-
paniola in the West Indies; also to Charleston, South Carolina; Wil-
mington, Delaware; Newbeme, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia;
Newport, Rhode Island ; besides other ports. Among the cargoes shipped
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 287
from New Brunswick in the last two years of the eighteenth century-
were thirty-four tons of iron ore to New Bedford, Massachusetts; 1,800
bushels of grain ; twenty-six barrels of pork ; twenty-two sides of leather,
to Boston, Massachusetts ; to Wareham, Massachusetts, thirty-five tons
of iron ore ; also another shipment of fifty tons of iron ore was made at
the same time. Carriages were shipped to the South, and the vessels
brought back sweet potatoes and other products. The sloops and
schooners varied from thirty to eighty tons burthen, and used lateral
boards for centre boards.
With the restoration of peace came a revival of business and con-
sequent increase of travel between New York and Philadelphia. The
highways were in a deplorable condition, and travelers gladly availed
themselves of the water routes, which were less tiresome and much
more comfortable than the bolstered wagons, the stage coaches of that
period.
The first civil magistrate under the new charter was Azariah Dun-
ham, who served until 1796, when Abraham Schuyler became his suc-
cessor. After five years' service, Mayor Schuyler retired, and his
successor, James Schureman, was inaugurated in 1801. At the opening
of the nineteenth century the population of New Brunswick was about
two thousand souls. Among its principal merchants were Robert East-
burn, Jacob R. Hardenbergh, Samuel Clarkson, Samuel Barker, all
located on Church street ; William Lawson, Jr., near the Market ; Perez
Rowley, S. J. and H. Rudderow, on Albany street ; and George Young,
Jr., on Peace street, who dealt in dry goods, groceries, medicines, etc.
The hardware merchant was Willett Wame, on Albany street. Build-
ers could purchase lumber from James Richmond or William Forman,
the former could also supply plaster, grass seeds, etc.; John Dennis,
Jr., carried on a varied business — ^lumber, plaster, paints, etc., could
rent a house, or sell a ticket or arrange for freight by the packets and
sailing vessels; Michael Pool, on Queen street, dealt in hats and furs;
while Williams & Leslie were watch and clock makers, dealing also in
plated ware, silver knee buckles, etc., with a branch store at Trenton.
Thomas Brush conducted a land and intelligence office, was also an auc-
tioneer, and could sell houses, lots, plantations, negro men, wenches and
children, let or hire them for service. Miss (?) Burnet at her Young
Ladies' High School taught French, music, dancing, etc. The letters for
Somerset, Scotch Plains, Raritan Landing, Amboy, North, South and
Middle Branches, Cranbury, Bonhamtown, Millstone, Stony Hill, Pis-
cataway, Basking Ridge, Spotswood, Bridgewater, Six Mile Run, etc.,
all came to New Brunswick on account of its being the nearest post-
office. The office was located on Albany street, below Neilson street.
John Voorhees was appointed the first postmaster, November 16, 1790;
he was succeeded by Peter Keenan, March 20, 1793, who on December
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288 MIDDLESEX
31 of that year gave way to Robert Hude, who after serving only six
months was replaced on July i, 1794, by Jacob Tallman. News from
Europe, six weeks in transit to the city, when it arrived was eagerly
read, as the citizens were deeply interested in the war of France and
England then in progress. On business trips to New York, the city's
merchants generally proceeded by private conveyances to what is now
Jersey City and Hoboken, where they crossed New York harbor either
in a sail or row boat, the journey taking the better part of three days.
Stray negroes were occasionally put in jail ; if no owners appeared, they
were sold to pay the expense of arrest and jail fees.
In the first decade of the nineteenth century, the population of New
Brunswick increased 1,017, making the total 3,042, of which 2,826 were
free white males and females, 53 blacks, 164 slaves. The number of
families was 469 inhabiting 375 dwellings. Internal communications
were by stage coach to Elizabeth and New York, also to Trenton and
Philadelphia, and by water a line of sloops carried freight and passengers
to New York, Albany, Troy and other points. The two newspapers
of the day were "The Fredonian," a staunch supporter of Jeffersonian
policies, and "The Guardian, or New Brunswick Advertiser," a Feder-
alist sheet in opposition to the national administration. The religious
denominations were Reform, Episcopal, Presbyterian and Baptist; a
Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 181 1. The New Bruns-
wick Bank was chartered in 1807, the State Bank in 181 2. Mail facili-
ties depended on the roads — ^if they were dry, mail arrived; if muddy,
there was delay. William Ten Broeck was appointed postmaster April
I, 1801, and filled the office until April 28, 1810, when Bernard Smith
succeeded him and removed the office to the south side of Albany street,
below George street, where it remained until it was removed to the cor-
ner of Church and Dennis streets.
In mercantile trade, the leading men conducting general stores were
Ayers & Freeman, Dennis & Kinnan, Peter Buckelew, on Queen street ;
R. S. Garretson on Church street ; Van Dorn, Beekman & Company, and
Dunham Brothers, also kept a general supply of merchandise; James
Richmond offered pine boards for sale ; Israel Freeman had two establish-
ments where he carried on coach and sign painting; Peter Perrine had
a cut nail factory opposite the Dutch church; L. Deare traded in wall
paper ; while K. Newell & Company kept a fine assortment of dry goods,
also selling good brandy and raisins, at their store, comer of Church
and Queen streets. Schureman, Perrine & Company dealt in Delaware
river shad. John C. Davie, Samuel Hunt and James Seabrook were
tailors. The hostelry opposite the public market, known as "Sign of the
Paddock," had for landlord Marimus W. Wame; Simpson & Bray, on
the wharf near the old market house, sold fish. Even those days were
employment offices carried on in Church street by Samuel Walker. The
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 289
citizens were supplied with white lead and oil by Robert Eastburn, Sr.,
on Church street; he also dealt in drugs, paints, books on history and
divinity ; also dye woods and family medicine chests. Benjamin Famer
manufactured tobacco, while Stephen Scale was a pump maker, with a
shop on Church street. Coaches were made by Thomas McDowell, on
Schureman street; Moses Guest carried a stock of shoes and groceries
on Burnet street; Mr. Desabaye, a piano dealer, was located on
George street, while on the north side of Church street Henry Plum
had a brass foundry. Thomas Eastbum was a hardware merchant on
Church street ; ale and porter were brewed by John Dorey, at the New
Brunswick Brewery. On Water street was Henry C. Guest & Company,
dry goods and groceries; William Naid was a bookbinder; Samuel H.
Day, on Burnet street, catered to the female sex with his stock of mil-
linery and shoes; a sadler was Charles Rarsbeck on Queen street, and
the White Hall Tavern was kept by Mr. Degraw. On Burnet street,
Bernard S. Judah dealt in oil and window glass ; while Edward Sullivan
carried a stock of shovels, tongs, copper tea kettles, looking glasses and
dry goods. Among the coachmakers were John Van Nuis and Nathan-
iel McChesney, on Albany street, and William Roland on Schureman
street. Joslin & Mulford had their harness shop on Albany street, and
Price & Meeker were cabinet makers on Church street. The public were
supplied with earthenware by E. J. Mackey, corner of Liberty and George
streets, and with wool for spinning and hatters' use by Thomas Letson.
Aaron M. Freeman, another harness maker on Peace street, could also
supply the infantry caps for soldiers. George White, comer of Burnet
and New streets, sold shovels, molasses, jewsharps, muslin, gun-flints,
lump sugar, bellows, corkscrews, etc. Next door, liquor could be
obtained from Captain Powers. Douwe D. Williamson and David Abeel
had an ironmongery and lumber yard on Burnet street French was
taught to the ladies by Mary Ann Guest, and S. C. Aiken taught writing.
At the foot of Easton avenue on Albany street was Josiah Simpson's
book and stationery store, with a circulating library ; this business was
purchased in January, 1812, by Charles D. Greene. Dr. Ira Condict also
had a private circulating library to which a person could become a mem-
ber by paying a small annual dues; he died in 181 1 and his library was
sold. Dancing academies were in evidence. Mr. Kennedy opened one
in the early part of January, 1812. Mr. Berault also held dancing school
in Kejrworth's tavern, and he politely informed the male sex that no
gentleman was allowed to dance with boots on, on public evenings.
The Washington Benevolent Society was organized December 2,
181 1 ; it was a patriotic society opposed to President Madison and his
foreign policy. A hall was built by Nicholas Van Brunt, for the use of
the organization, which was formally dedicated July 4, 1813, with appro-
priate ceremonies
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290 MIDDLESEX
The ferry across the Raritan river accommodated the public for over
a century. The Inian rights were acquired by Thomas Farmer in 1716,
by an Act of Assembly, toll rates were fixed for a horse and man, four
pence, for a single p^son two pence. In 1732 Thomas Farmer conveyed
his ferry rights to Philip French in consideration of £300. It was not,
however, until 1790 that agitations were started to build a bridge; that
year James Parker, of Perth Amboy, gave notice that he would apply to
the legislature for a toll bridge across the river Raritan. This movement
coming from a citizen of Perth Amboy was not entirely for the benefit
of New Brunswick. Perth Amboy was then a seaport with consider-
able foreign commerce, and the object of the people of that city was
to shorten the distance of the agricultural districts around New Bruns-
wick so trade could be diverted to their own seaport. The legislature
having passed an act to build a bridge at New Brunswick, appointed
commissioners to designate a site. They met February 21, 1791, at the
tavern of John Lane. Subsequent meetings were held and it was decided
to build at the foot of Albany street. The bridge, completed in 17969
was an open structure. The stone for facing the original piers was
freighted from Blackwell's Island, the outside casing of stone was filled
with shale quarried on the east side of the Raritan river, mixed with
cement. The original cost of the bridge was $86,695.71.
At the commencement of the second war with England, a majority of
the citizens of New Brunswick were opposed to the acts of the national
administration. On April 15, 1812, a requisition was made by the United
States government on the State for 5,000 men, who were furnished and
placed under the command of Major-General Ludlow. A company of
ninety men of the Fifth Regiment, United States Infantry, encamped at
New Brunswick on the night of April 17, 1812, on their way from Ellison's
Island to Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Governor Ogden passed through the
city November 2, 1812, traveling to Trenton. He was met at Qarkson's
Tavern by Captain Veghte's company of Light Dragoons and a large
number of citizens on horseback, who accompanied him to the heights,
where Captain Neilson's company of artillery and Captain Scott's com-
pany of infantry, attended by the artillery band, awaited his arrival. He
was oflficially welcomed at the Queen's Hotel by Mayor Schureman, and
after dinner was escorted by the dragoons and a delegation of citizens
as far as Princeton. The New Jersey legislature on November 9, 1812,
passed an act deprecating the war, but on the i6th a general order was
issued requiring all companies whether of cavalry, artillery, light infan-
try, or riflemen, to hold themselves in readiness to take the field on
twenty-four hours' notice. The city companies made all necessary
preparations, and reported themselves ready. The patriotism of the
citizens was intensified on the receipt of the intelligence of Captain
Decatur's victory over the frigate "Macedonian." On December 10,
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 291
1812, the day following the battle, seventy of the brave tars of the
"Wasp" passed through the city on their way to Washington. As the
war progressed, politics grew bitter, a memorable campaign took place
in January, 1813, when James Schureman was elected to Congress on
a peace ticket. He was succeeded in the mayoralty chair by James
Bennett. Party feeling was antagonistic; the city was divided on the
war issue, John P. Cowenhoven, Bernard Smith, James Randolph and
Jarvis Brewster were the leaders of the war party ; and the Schuremans,
Neilsons, Hardenberghs and Elmendorfs lined up in favor of peace.
The political pot was boiling; meetings were held on one night to
denounce the war, and on the next in favor of it. The elections were
dominated by the peace party. At this time, the city was partly in
Middlesex and partly in Somerset county, the center of Albany street
forming the boundary line, to the considerable annoyance of voters. As
the war progressed, the citizens did not fail in their patriotism, as New
Brunswick was well represented in the army and navy. The citizens
dreading an attack by the British, every man by suggestion of the
common council, was required to provide himself with a gun and twenty-
four rounds of ball cartridges. A code of signals was arranged with
Perth Amboy, to be used in case the enemy should enter the river at
that place. No definite action was taken looking towards the safety of
the city, which was the central meeting place of the militia for sur-
rounding country. The brigade judge advocate for Middlesex county,
William Dunham, and the brigade board, met once a month for trans-
action of business relative to the militia of the county, at Colonel Peter
Keenon's tavern in New Brunswick. There was great animosity between
the regular troops and the militia. The companies that volunteered
from New Brunswick did so with the understanding that they were to
defend the river and city in case of an attack. The militia claimed they
could not be forced to do garrison duty or any of the other duties
required of the standing army, nor could they be compelled to leave
their own State to wage a foreign war. The militia were drafted and
driven from their homes into camps and placed under regular army
officers. To add to their discontent, they were not properly cared for
and could not obtain sufficient food. This caused groups of the militia
to desert and leave for their homes. A party of these discontented militia
reached New Brunswick July 5, 1813, and had hardly entered the town
before they were captured by a troop of regfular cavalry, and this pre-
cipitated a free fight, in which the town people took part. Such dis-
turbances became frequent until Mayor Schureman appointed a special
committee to make a protest against any more of the militia being sent
out of the State. Robert Boggs was also appointed to call the atten-
tion of the governor to the defenseless condition of the city ; the execu-
tive promised to do what he could, but nothing was accomplished.
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It was not until the second presidential call for troops, on July 14,
1814, that New Brunswick's patriotism was thoroughly aroused, and
she promptly furnished four fully uniformed and armed companies —
the New Brunswick Artillery, Captain Neilson ; New Brunswick Horse
Artillery Captain Van Dyke; Captain Scott's Light Infantry; and the
New Brunswick Rifles under Captain McKay. These companies were*
ordered to hold themselves in readiness to march under orders from
Brigadier-General William Coleman, who was in command at Paulus
Hook.
The people were still in fear of an attack, and a committee was
appointed by the common council, September 11, 1814, to inquire into
the defenses of the city. They reported that the four companies had
been ordered outside of the State, atid that the three companies still
remaining in the city were not armed; they suggested that a demand
should be made for the return of the volunteer companies, and a requi-
sition made on the governor for arms for the three companies of militia.
While this report was received and adopted, no practical results were
obtained. On receipt of the signing of the treaty of peace in February,
1815, in response to a proclamation of the mayor the public buildings
were illuminated, flags and banners waved, and cannons boomed. The
citizens welcomed the return of peace and relief from the weary days
of war.
After the restoration of peace, New Brunswick became the depot
for the reception of grain from the counties of Warren, Hunterdon,
Sussex, Somerset, also Northampton, Pennsylvania, and the country
along the upper Delaware. Large wagons drawn by four and six horses
and carrying twenty-eight barrels of flour, sometimes as many as five
hundred a day, came down the valley of the Raritan. At Raritan Land-
ing were large store houses which received the grain, the sloops would
take on a half a cargo, then drop down to New Brunswick, complete
their load, and proceed to their destination. The White Hall tavern was
headquarters for news, where the grain merchants could congregate,
consult a New York paper, and fix the market prices. The New Bruns-
wick shippers paid cash for merchandise, while at Newark and Philadel-
phia barter was used.
The successful application of steam for the purpose of navigation
was to revolutionize the slower methods of transportation. The State
of New York had granted to Livingston and Fulton the exclusive
right of steam navigation. Under this right, John R. and Robert James
Livingston had purchased the right of navigating the waters of the
Raritan to New Brunswick — ^the head of navigation on that river. They
placed on this water route the steamboat "Raritan," but in 1818 Thomas
Gibbons placed upon the same route the "Bellona," a steamer of one
hundred and sixteen tons, regularly registered at the port of Perth
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 293
Amboy for the coasting trade under the United States law. The Liv-
ingstons secured an injunction restraining Gibbons from using his
boat, claiming the exclusive right of steam navigation on the Raritan.
Gibbons denied this right and sued for damages; the ablest legal talent
of the period was employed; after elaborate arguments by learned
attorneys and exhaustive opinions by the presiding justices, judgment
was rendered for the plaintiff, thus establishing an important judicial
principle, namely, the right of comity in steam navigation between
adjoining States under the Federal Constitution. Competing lines were
soon organized, and rivalry became active and exciting, the inhabitants
turning out in crowds to welcome the arrival and departure of the
steamboats. The region surrounding Bordertown and Burlington was
a great peach growing section, and wagon after wagon load of this
delicious fruit was sent to the wharfs at New Brunswick for transporta-
tion to New York and other eastern points. The Delaware and Raritan
canal was completed during the year 1833, ^^^ ^^^ shipment of products
was stimulated; the annual exportation of corn reached 300,000 bush-
els; rye, 57,000 bushels; and a few years later 1,000,000 bushels passed
down the river. Such was the magnitude of trade that the Raritan
was rated as one of the three greatest rivers in the country as to ton-
nage. This increase of business called many other steamboats into
requisition.
In 1828 the city's population was about 5,000; there were 750 dwell-
ings, over a hundred stores, and twenty taverns. The city's compact
population was bounded by George and New streets; south of New
street, houses could be numbered on the fingers of one hand, barring
out Burnet street, which led to the steamboat dock. The old stone
mansion on the corner of Livingston avenue and Carrol place, was built
in 1760 by Henry Guest; here Tom Paine was barricaded by his hosts,
the Guests, from the violence of a royal mob, seeking to punish him
for his treasonable writings. Here, too, were written those poems of
the son of Moses Guest, afterwards published in Cincinnati, among which
figure that gem, "To Pave or Not to Pave," and the humorous satire,
"Toll Bridge." The aristocracy lived on Little Burnet street, in a row
of elaborately finished brick houses. The dry goods marts were on
Burnet street, the shops on Church street, grain warehouses on Water
street, where also were the hotels for traders. The trade was largely
wholesale, the northwestern counties of the State and the country along
the Delaware forwarding grain, and supplied in turn with fish, salt, dry
goods and merchandise. The country south of the city towards Mon-
mouth county was little better than a desert of sand; this was before
the mines of marl had been exploited.
The death of Mayor Bennett causing a vacancy, James Schurcman
was again appointed mayor; he filled the office until 1824, when Dr.
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294 MIDDLESEX
Augustus R. Taylor became his successor for a term of five years. David
F. Randolph became postmaster February 15, 1819, succeeded May 12,
1820, by William Meyer, who removed the office to Church street, above
Neilson street, afterwards to Albany street, near Neilson street, and
finally to what was known as No. 30 Albany street, where it remained
until 1 84 1.
In the early part of June, 1817, when President Monroe inaugurated
the presidential swing around the circle, he was entertained by the citi-
zens of New Brunswick. In October, 1824, General Lafayette came and
was lionized by the common council, who extended him a reception at
an expense of two hundred and fifty dollars. The General passed
through the city again on July 15, 1825, when he was given another
reception by the citizens. The Asiatic cholera in 1832 caused the
authorities to create the office of health officer. The first incumbent was
Dr. William Van Dursen; the second and last was Dr. A. R. Taylor.
The cholera continued forty-seven days, with 174 cases, of which fifty-
two proved fatal. Another presidential reception took place in 1833,
when General Andrew Jackson was entertained by the common council,
June 12, 1833, at an expense of $500 for a banquet, etc. The city on
June 19, 1835, was visited by a tornado. Two dark clouds appeared on
the heavens, and joining together a full blown tornado swept on a path
of devastation, through Six Mile Run and Middlebush towards the
city. It was about five o'clock in the evening when the hurricane with
a fearful violence took an easterly . course, threatening Albany and
Church streets, actually striking at the heads of Paterson, Bayard,
Liberty and Schureman streets, whence it took its destructive way
across Neilson and Burnet streets, killing several people in its path;
thence it proceeded over the Raritan to Piscataway, and on to the
seacoast. Schureman, Liberty and Burnet streets were a mass of ruins ;
over one hundred and twenty dwellings, exclusive of stores and store-
houses, were destroyed or greatly damaged. The loss reached $150,000;
the razed parts were speedily rebuilt, and the industry and commerce
of the city received no serious check.
The third city charter was obtained in 1838. The Whigs that year
had obtained the popular ear in New Jersey, as well as a few years before
in New Brunswick. The party wanted to obtain control of the common
council, then in possession of their opponents ; by the aid of their assem-
blyman, George P. Molleson, the political cards were shuffled and a
new charter granted. It made all the City Fathers elective for one year ;
though not changing their number or composition, they were to form
only a single chamber. The judicial power of the aldermen was sac-
rificed, justices of the peace being appointed for five years. Though
there were remonstrances and attempts by the members of the com-
mon council, to thwart the act of the legislature, thus quietly lifted
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 295
from official life and patronage, they were obliged to bow to the inevit-
able. Jacob R. Hardenbergh (1829-30) and Cornelius L. Hardenbergh
(1830-38) were the two last occupants of the mayoralty chair by appoint-
ment. The first mayor under the new charter was Dr. Augustus Taylor.
On January 3, 1836, a new locomotive named "New Brunswick,"
with thirteen cars full of guests, and decorated with banners bearing the
names of the counties, cities and villages along the route, operated by
the New Jersey Railroad and Transportation Company, was received
by a committee of citizens in carriages, who escorted the visitors over
Albany street bridge to a hotel, where a sumptuous feast was served.
At this time all trains stopped across the river, and passengers were
transferred across the bridge in stages at a cost of six and a half cents
each. The railroad company built a bridge during the year 1837, the
first train crossing the river to the depot on Somerset street, January
I, 1838. The company bought the franchise from the New York and
Philadelphia Turnpike Company, rebuilding the bridge and using it
until they constructed a wooden railroad and wagon bridge on the site
of the present railroad bridge. The advent of a railroad and the com-
petition of the canal practically killed the shipping trade of New Bruns-
wick, as it allowed the farmers to send their products direct to market
from stations near their farms, and New Brunswick became a deserted
village when the railroad came to town, to be revived, however, in the
future, by her manufacturing industries.
At the opening of the fourth decade of the nineteenth century. New
Brunswick doffed the swaddling clothes of an infant municipality and
assumed the air of a modem city. Though the marshal had been since
1784 a regular official of the city, either elected by the people or chosen
by the council, also a night watch established, it was not until 1835 that
a police force was organized. In August of that year, Peter V. Spader
^and John Nafey were duly appointed to protect the citizens from crime
and disorder. This primitive force has gradually increased, and in
1857 a chief of the force was for the first time elected.
The second mayor under the new charter was David M. Vail, who
held the office one year and was succeeded in 1841 by Littleton
Kirkpatrick. The newly elected mayor was a son of Chief Justice Kirk-
patrick and his wife Jane, daughter of Colonel John Bayard, a distin-
guished patriot and soldier of Revolutionary fame. He was a graduate
of Princeton College, a lawyer by profession. He afterward became a
member of Congress for one term, and had been surrogate of the county
for five years. On the appointment of Samuel C. Cook, August 7, 1841,
who succeeded as postmaster Ephraim F. Randolph, who held the office
six months, the location of the office was changed to No. 217 Ne?lson
street, where it remained for twenty years. Mr. Cook was succeeded
March 9, 1843, by John Simpson, and the latter in turn by Henry San-
derson on March 14, 1849.
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The destinies of the city were presided over for the next so^re of
years by able citizens who had gained distinction as manufacturers^
bankers, or members of the legal and medical professions. The suc-
cessor of Mayor Kirkpatrick was Fitz Randolph Smith, who served one
term ; his successor in 1843 was John Acken, who was reelected. ITie
next mayor was a member of the Middlesex county bar, William H.
Leupp, who was succeeded in 1846 by a brother attorney, John Van Dyke.
Judge Van Dyke was afterwards a member of Congress (1847-1851),
also a judge of the Supreme Court of New Jersey ; he was again mayor
after his retirement from Congress, from 1852 to 1853. In his later life
he removed to Minnesota. The next occupant of the mayoralty chair
was Martin A. Howell, and succeeded in 1848 by Dr. Augustus F. Taylor,
this being his second election to the office. Dr. Taylor was a son of a
medical practitioner, a native of the city who had been New Bruns-
wick's mayor, 1824-29. The elder Taylor was a son of a professor of
mathematics and natural philosophy in Queen's College, who removed
to Schenectady, New York, to occupy the same chair in Union College.
In that city the newly elected mayor was bom ; graduated from Rutgers
College, studied medicine and though he had not been licensed to
practice, during the period of the Asiatic cholera in the city he was
placed in charge of a hospital devised by the citizens. His successor
in 1849 was D. Fitz Randolph, who was reelected, and was followed in
185 1 by Peter N. Wycoflf. As stated before, his successor was Judge
Van Dyke. For the next two terms John B. Hill occupied the executive
chair. He was a descendant of an English family that settled in New
Brunswick when it was in its infancy, and at the time of his election
was president of the National Bank of New Jersey. His successor,
Abraham V. Schenck, was a native of the city, and an attorney of high
repute. His successor in 1857 was John Bayard Kirkpatrick, a brother
of Littleton Kirkpatrick, who had been an official of the United States
Treasury. Mayor Kirkpatrick was elected for two terms but resigned
and was succeeded in 1859 by Tunis V. D. Hoagland, who in turn gave
place to Peter C. Onderdonk, a prominent manufacturer; he was suc-
ceeded in i860 by Ezekiel M. Paterson. The thirteenth mayor under
the new charter was Lyle Van Nuis, who was also mayor for two terms
from 1861 to 1863.
New Brunswick in 1845, with a neighborhood of 9,000 inhabitants,
presented an enterprising city with its courthouse, jail, eight churches,
college buildings, bank, one hundred and twenty stores and eight hun-
dred dwellings. Though the streets immediately on the river were
narrow and the ground low, in the upper part of the city the roadways
were wide and there were many fine buildings. Two bridges crossed the
Raritan, though the Albany street bridge was dilapidated and not much
used. The railroad bridge was also used for wagons and foot passengers.
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 297
the trains crossing the river overhead on the upper portion of the bridge.
This continued to be the mode of travel for several years, until the citizens
deeming it unsafe, the New Brunswick Bridge Company was incor-
porated and a new bridge was constructed at the foot of Albany street.
This bridge was conducted by the company until July 3, 1875, when it
was purchased by the county for $58,000 and made free. There had
been paid in bridge tolls over $300,000 from November i, 1795, to the
time of its purchase by the county. The freeing of the bridge was cele-
brated by a procession, headed by Darrow's Comet Band, that marched
through the streets of the city, the sidewalks lined with people who,
to exhibit their joy, waved flags and handkerchiefs. The reason of this
demonstration was that the proprietors of the bridge had for several
years resisted all attempts for the purchase of the property by the county,
thus retarding the growth and prosperity of the city. New Brunswick,
which had been partly located in Somerset county, was by an act of
legislation in 1854 freed from the Somerset jurisdiction. The custom of
having officials under different names to constitute a common council
for local legislation over which the mayor presided was persisted in until
1862, when the mayor and recorder were dropped from that body, and a
president of the common council was elected. This action dropped the
ambiguous title, "The Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen and Common Coun-
cil," and from a division of four different divisions, all meeting together
made a compact body of twelve aldermen.
The office of city physician was established in 1849, on the second
approach of the Asiatic cholera. The first to be appointed to the office
was Dr. A. D. Newell. The second period of the cholera lasted ninety-
seven days, there being two hundred and twenty-one cases, of which
one hundred and fifteen proved fatal. The election for the city fathers
was first held in the town meetings, then election districts were estab-
lished, first two, afterwards three ; and in 1863 the city was divided into
six wards. The town meetings were first held in the old courthouse.
This building, known as "Union Hall," was purchased in 1842 by the
city and named City Hall. It continued to be used until 1853, when a
new city hall was built on Liberty street. It was not until after the
consolidation of the city and township of New Brunswick in 1861 that
any other officers than the mayor, recorder, members of the council, etc.,
were elected by the people. After this period there were chosen a
mayor, recorder, six aldermen, six common councilmen, an assessor,
collector, justices of the peace, chosen freeholders, judges of election,
school superintendent, town clerk, surveyors of the highways, con-
stables, commissioners of appeal and overseer of the poor; these from
time to time lengthened until in 1877 the citizens were called upon to
vote for ninety-nine officials, of whom three were general and ninety-six
ward officers. The vote cast had largely increased ; there is no record
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298 MIDDLESEX
previous to 1844, when the ballot was taken by "show of hands;" that
year the total poll was only 304 ; this had increased to 3,918 in 1877.
The city in 1850 having about 10,000 inhabitants, a company was
formed for the introduction of gas. Owing to circumstances, this com-
pany relinquished its franchises, and the following year John W. Stout,
E. M. Paterson, Peter Spader, David Bishop, Benjamin D. Steele and
Moses F. Webb received a legislative charter for the manufacture of
gas. A company being organized, John W. Stout became president,
with John B. Hall, secretary, superintendent and engineer. The erection
of works was immediately proceeded with, pipes were laid, and a gas
holder built on the corner of Water and Washington streets. The water
supply for the city is taken from Lawrence's brook, southeast of the
city limits. The works were constructed in 1864, the water being raised
by steam pumps to a reservoir. The New Brunswick Water Company,
the owner of the works, transferred their interests to the city April 30,
1873, which from this time to the adoption of a commission form of
government was managed by a board of water commissioners, their term
of service being three years.
New Bnmswick was to receive her seventh city charter in 1863.
Legislation, however, did not greatly affect the provisions of the pre-
vious charter. The term of office of the mayor was made two years.
The first mayor under the new charter was Richard McDonald; his
successors have been as follows: Augustus T. Stout, 1865; Jo^^ T.
Jenkins, 1865-67; Miles Ross, 1867-69; Dr. George J. Janeway, 1869-71;
Garret Conover, 1871-73; Thomas DeRussy, 1873-75; Isaiah Rolfe,
1875-77; Dewitt T. Reiley, 1879-81; William S. Strong, 1881-89; James
H. Van Cleef, 1889-95; Nicholas Williamson, 1895-1902; George A.
Viehmann, 1902-04; William S. Myers, 1904-06; Drury W. Cooper,
1906-08; W. Edwin Florance, 1908-10; John J. Morrison, 1910-14; Austin
Scott, 1914-15; Edward F. Farrington, 191 5-18; John J. Morrison, 1918.
New Brunswick adopted the commission form of government March 7,
191 5, under the State law for governing cities, passed by the legisla-
ture of 1914.
The location of the postofficc was still of transitory migration. On
the appointment in 1861 of John T. Jenkins as postmaster, the office
was removed to 40 Dennis street, afterward to No. 202 Neilson street,
and later to Burnet street, opposite Commerce square, where it remained
during the occupancy of the office of Joseph F. Fisher, appointed April
5, 1869, and his successor, Levi B. Jarrard, October 26, 1881, When John
F. Babcock became postmaster, June 7, 1883, he proposed to remove the
office to the old Masonic Hall — ^this raised a storm of protest from the
merchants ; as the city did not at that time possess a free delivery system,
the location was considered too far uptown. Though a petition was
circulated and signed by hundreds of citizens, Mr. Babcock was tri-
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 299
umphant. Here the office remained during the occupancy of Robert
Carson, who was appointed February 27, 1885, and William H. Price,
who became postmaster April 4, 1887. On the reappointment of Robert
Carson, January 6, 1892, he removed the office in July of that year to
the corner of George and Paterson streets, where it continued under
Charles D. Deshler, appointed April 4, 1896, and his successor, Charles
W. Russell, who took charge in April, 1900 ; until it was removed to its
present permanent home, built by the government at an expense of
$125,000, October i, 1903. The present incumbent of the office, Peter
H. S. Hendricks, succeeded Postmaster Russell, May 29, 1913. Rural
delivery was established December 15, 1900; there are now six routes.
New Brunswick's great industrial awakening had its birth in the
thirties and forties of the last century. The city at that time was largely
college ruled, its streets with a few exceptions unpaved, no gas
or sewers, was supplied only with well water for drinking purposes,
which was in danger of being contaminated in the lower portion of the
city by the drainage from the upper section, thus being menaced with
epidemics of typhoid, though science had not at that period taken cog-
nizance of the dangerous properties of drinking water thus exposed.
Though there were industries previous to this period, they were of
primitive character. New Brunswick in early days being a seaport, it
was natural that a shipbuilding industry would be generated, hence
an important industry in that line was carried on by the Orams, the
Runyons, the Hoaglands, the Kemptons, and the Waterhouses. Large
fleet schooners and sloops, also seagoing craft for coast service, as well
as barges, were built. Luke Hoagland constructed several yachts for
the New York Yacht Club, notable among them the "Minnie," a prize
winner; the "Siren," and "Ibis," then the largest steam yacht of the
squadron. He afterwards built launches and torpedo boats for the
government. When New Brunswick ceased to be a seaport, these indus-
tries died a natural death. An industry of antiquity was the carriage
manufactory of John Van Nuis, who as early as 1810-11 built a factory
on Albany street, consisting of several frame buildings arranged as a
quadrangle. From 1813 to 1840 the Van Nuis carriages were known
throughout the Southern States. The business after his death was
conducted by his three sons — Lyle, Robert and James, who had been
his partners. The death of his two brothers caused a change in the
firm name, and Lyle Van Nuis in 1867 became the sole owner. The repu-
tation of their work was second to none, and a line of handsome carriages
was always kept in stock; the change to the modem transportation,
however, sounded the knell of carriage repositories.
The father of the foundation of the present industrial life of New
Brunswick was Martin A. Howell, a native of New Brunswick. He
combined the sterling qualities of his paternal grandfather, who was
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of Welsh descent, with the craftiness and hardheadedness of his maternal
grandfather, who came from the land of the Scots. Young Howell's
qualifications were energy, economy, and untiring industry, with which
he overcame many youthful disappointments and difficulties. He finally
in 1837 erected what was the first manufactory built in the city for the
production of wall paper, one of the first erected for that industry in
the United States. It was operated on Water street, by canal water-
power, and from an annual production of $8,000 grew and increased in
a few years to $150,000. It was two years later that Horace H. Day,
in his little shop on Dennis street, turned out carriage cloth made by
spreading over cloth, rubber dissolved in turpentine, and shoes made
from rubber uppers fitted on leather bottoms. In the shipping trade
of New Brunswick at that time was a young man, James Bishop, whose
vessels plied between New York and Para, South America, and through
his agent at that point he came to know of the inexhaustible supply
of rubber on the banks of the Amazon river and its tributaries. Know-
ing the value of this Brazilian product, he readily became interested in
its exportation and became a pioneer in the rubber industry. The rubber
trade antecedent to its development as an industry in the United States
was recognized in Europe. The valuable properties of the gum were
utilized about 1767, when it was offered in a stationer's store in London
in cubes an inch square at three shillings sixpence, as an eraser of pencil
marks. Mackintosh, a haberdasher, in 1823 patented a varnish com-
pounded by dissolving rubber gum in coal oil; with this liquid he
smeared fabrics, thus rendering them waterproof. Even to this day,
Mackintosh is the general term for all waterproof material. Subse-
quently, other patents were taken out in England for the manufacture
of shirred goods, availing of the properties of the elasticity of the gum
for that purpose, but beyond that English inventors never ventured, leav-
ing the more important inventions to the Americans. The pioneer in
the successful manufacture of rubber goods in America was E. M.
Chaffee, a native of Massachusetts. He invented a machine in 1832
that would spread upon cloth a preparation of rubber gum dissolved
in turpentine, to which was added lamp black. This made the material
waterproof, and was successfully used for goods exposed to the elements,
such as covers for life preservers, coaches, storm hats, or sou'westers.
Chaffee, to extend his manufacturing, organized a stock company with
which Daniel Hayward became identified, but in producing the cloth
in large quantities it became uneven and inferior in quality. Charles
Goodyear and his brother Nelson also engaged in experimenting, and
while they met with some success in elastic goods, in other appliances
they produced a material that became sticky when exposed to heat or
became hard when exposed to cold. The rubber shoes were a solid
piece of unglazed rubber, which fitted closely over the leather shoe and
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 301
was ungainly looking, like an ugly black stocking. They also made a
shoe with uppers of leather, while between the soles was placed a cloth
smeared with a compound of rubber gum. Here in New Brunswick,
Horace Day was keeping pace with them, and the interesting spectacle
was presented of four young men — Chaffee, Hayward, Goodyear and
Day — ^all penniless, but with an abiding faith in themselves and their
own inventive powers. In 1838 there came to New Brunswick to assist
Mr. Day, a German, Christopher Meyer. He was of a naturally ingenious
turn of mind, with some knowledge of machinery. Mr. Day engaged
his services for two years in perfecting patterns and machinery for
operating in the manufacture of rubber goods. The Goodyear vulcan-
ization process came out in 1844; Mr. Day claimed the right of using it
for the New Jersey Rubber Shoe Company, which he had established
in 1839, basing his claim on the plea that it was an unpatented English
invention, and began making improved shoes. This resulted in law-
suits in which Mr. Day was finally vanquished. His assistant, how-
ever, Mr. Meyers, spent his evenings in making his patterns, and soon
had his machinery ready for a beginning. Through the assistant of
James Bishop, who granted him financial aid, he started in a small way
at Landing Bridge, on the canal, manufacturing rubber shoes and rubber
carriage cloth. This undertaking he eventually sold, and in 1845, ^so-
ciated with John R. Ford, he rebuilt his factory that had been destroyed
by fire. The Ford & Company in 1850 became a corporation, the Ford
Company, and four years later its name was changed to the Meyer
Rubber Company. After Mr. Day's unsuccessful litigation, the New
Jersey Rubber Shoe Company met with varied changes. They manu-
factured rubber blankets for the use of the soldiers during the Civil
War, but the works finally came into the possession of Mr. Meyers and
others who formed the New Jersey Rubber Company in April, 1870.
Previous to this Messrs. Meyers and Ford had built in 1858 the Novelty
Rubber Company mills on Neilson street, above the railroad bridge for
the manufacture of hard rubber articles. Their output soon amounted
to $600,000 annually, an endless variety of articles being manufactured
and shipped to all parts of the world. The firm of Onderdonk & Letson
had acquired the Goodyear rights for manufacturing rubber boots and
shoes, which they disposed of in 1849 ^^ ^^^ ^^^ Brunswick Rubber
Company, who employed three hundred hands, doing an annual business
of about $700,000. All these rubber industries have long since ceased
to exist under their former names, the manufacture of rubber boots
and shoes in New Brunswick being confined at the present day to the
United States Rubber Company, having salesroom in New York City
and Chicago, Illinois.
It was some years after the Delaware & Raritan Canal was in opera-
tion that Commodore Robert F. Stockton, with the idea of utilizing
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to advantage the fall of water between the upper and lower level of the
locks in New Brunswick, induced his friend James Neilson to join with
him in the erection of a plant for a cotton spinning mill, the power to
operate the works to be derived from the canal. This scheme was put
into practice and carried on for some years, giving employment to men
and women, and is cited as the first organized industry in the city offering
employment to either sex. The cotton milling, however, was not remu-
nerative ; the buildings remained idle until 1866, when parties interested
in Norfolk, Connecticut, in the manufacture of yam, who had invented
a machine to produce knit goods, wishing to obtain another location,
bought the works and established in New Brunswick the Norfolk and
New Brunswick Hosiery Company. This was one of the enterprising
industries of the city, with extensive works located on the comer of
Neilson and Hamilton streets until a few years ago, when it discontinued
business.
The early endeavors in the manufacture of wall paper have been
mentioned. In 1844 John P. Hardenbergh commenced the manufacture
of wall paper on Water street. He disposed of his interests in 1849 ^o
William R. Janeway, the firm becoming Janeway & Company. The early
factory, measuring forty feet by twenty-five feet, soon gave way to an
immense structure facing on Water street, which with other buildings
covered two acres of grounds. Here ordinary wall paper was printed
from maple rollers, gilt paper and water colors from maple blocks.
The printing machines were made by the Waldron Machine Works,
established, by William Waldron in 1848. These machines were after-
wards made by this concern for exportation to Europe, the business
being still carried on by descendants of the original founder, on the
River road, under the style of the John Waldron Company. The busi-
ness of Janeway Company extended from Maine to California; the
competition became severe, but Janeway & Company with their exten-
sive facilities for business outlived all competition. Wall paper is
manufactured at the present day in New Brunswick by Janeway &
Carpender.
The manufacture of shoes was at one time a leading factor in the
industrial life of the city. The genesis of the industry was in 1856, when
one Felter, with a shop at the head of Deleven street, employed two
hands in the making of hand-sewed shoes. This grew into an industry,
with a factory located on Bayard street between Neilson and George
streets, where employment was given to over three hundred hands, nearly
half of whom were females. The weekly production was over five
thousand pairs of boots and shoes — ^men's and boys' boots and shoes;
ladies' misses' and children's shoes, sewed and nailed, having a yearly
production value of over $400,000. In the old courthouse, John Boundey
in the early sixties started a shoe factory employing about fifty hands.
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 303
from which he. removed, finally locating on Spring street near Albany
street. An extensive strike by the Knights of St. Crispin in February,
1871, caused the outgrowth of shoe factories to be operated on the
cooperative plan. This caused the formation in New Brunswick of
the firms of Motisher & Shyers, and Vosper & Kramer, young men who
for a time conducted a thriving business. Mr. Kramer in 1879 purchased
the interest of his partner, and established a shoe factory on Hamilton
street near Division street, where he for several years carried on an exten-
sive shoe trade. In the year 1877 Frank E. and James T. Kilpatrick
formed a firm for the manufacture of leather shoes, styled Kilpatrick
& Company. A large brick factory on the comer of Neilson and Hamil-
ton streets was occupied ; women's, misses' and children's grain, pebble,
goat and kid, also men's, youths' and boys' calf and fine calf splits boots
and shoes were manufactured. While the firm did an extensive home
trade, they also found a market for their productions in the Eastern and
Southern States.
Among the present industries of New Brunswick is the Consolidated
Fruit Jar Company, established in 1858 and incorporated in 1871. They
commenced operations under the combined patents of three or four
former factories, with a paid up capital stock of $500,000. They are the
proprietors and manufacturers of the Mason fruit jar trimmings ; Boyd's
and Chace's oillers, can screws, spouts, and general white metal goods,
making a specialty of collapsible tubes, rectal and nasal tubes, sprinkler
tops for perfumes and toilet waters and tooth powders. Their factory
is situated on Water street, near Railroad street.
Among other prominent industries was the saw mill of Isaac Rolfe
& Son, which was established by Mr. Rolfe in company with G. W.
Metlar, on Burnet street, at the foot of New street. The old Neilson
mill, which supplied the public with sawed lumber, had for many years
been shut down. The new mill measured 180 feet on Burnet street, was
300 feet deep, and had a canal front of 340 feet Engaged in a kindred
enterprise was William S. Van Doren's sash and blind factory midway
between Morris and Oliver streets, on Neilson street The business
was started in 1852 by William Wright, but was purchased in 1866 by
Mr. Van Doren, who enlarged the works. He suflfered considerable loss
by fire in November, 1872, which destroyed half of his premises, but
within a month the factory was in operation again. There was estab-
lished in 1856 another sash and blind factory on John street, foot of
Morris street, by A. J. Butler, where a large amount of work was pro-
duced annually. Mr. Butler was also interested in a pottery located on
Burnet street, which was celebrated for its line of terra cotta.
One of the thriving industries of its day was the furniture manu-
factory of Cornelius Powelson. The business sprang from a small shop
on the comer of New and George streets; the trade increased, and in
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1847 a four-story brick structure was erected on the comer of George
and Schureman streets, where exclusive first-class furniture and uphol-
stery work was made for customers all over the country. Equally
unique was the confectionery establishment of William Frank, who
opened in 1850 a small place on the east side of Peace Street for the
sale of candies; to this was afterwards added toys imported from Ger-
many, and the manufacture of French and American candies in over
two hundred varieties. His wholesale trade was limited to the various
country towns within twenty miles of the city. Three brothers by the
name of McCrellis in 185 1 established on Somerset street a factory for
the manufacture of carriages, wagons and sleighs. A large number of
workmen were employed, and it soon became one of the most extensive
manufacturing firms in the city. Mention has already been made of
the Waldron Machine Works ; there was also the National Iron Works,
established in 1847 by Elijah Kelly, that specialized in rubber goods
machinery, also manufactured a newly patented powder-making machine.
The Empire Machine Works made improved knitting machines. The
New Brunswick Carpet Company was established in 1871 for the manu-
facture of tapestry Brussels carpets. They built extensive brick build-
ings covering some three acres of grounds on Water street near Somerset
street. They employed nearly three hundred hands, producing nearly
$1,000,000 worth of goods annually. The business was relinquished in
1877, the company closing their works. In a large substantial brick
factory on the comer of Hamilton and Union streets, in 1882, D. McNair
& Son were actively engaged in the manufacture of buckram, mosquito
netting and light muslin, employing a large number of hands, weaving
these materials which had a continual demand in the market. The senior
Mr. McNair established the business in the early sixties of the past
century. The Home Valley Preserving Company was established in
1884 by Benjamin F. Holmes with a capital stock of $25,000; the com-
pany were growers and packers of all kinds of fruits and vegetables,
also conducted a farm of two hundred acres within the city limits, in a
high state of cultivation, besides contracting for the products of some
three hundred or more acres in the immediate vicinity. The factory
purchased and utilized for this industry was originally the old Raritan
Steam Mills, a brick structure on Water street. The tin containers
were manufactured on the premises; some six hundred thousand cans
comprising apples, pears, peaches, plums, grapes, strawberries, rasp-
berries, blackberries, cherries, etc., corn, asparagus and other vegetables,
also poultry, beef and mutton, jams and jellies, were preserved and
packed annually.
Today the principal manufacturing industries not already mentioned
are the laboratory and chemical establishment of Johnson & Johnson,
which gives employment to 2,100 hands ; the Neverslip Work^, manu-
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 305
facturing Red Top horse shoe calks, horses' and mules' shoes, 8oit steel
rivets, with branch offices at Catasauqua, Pennsylvania; Montreal,
Canada; New York, Chicago and Boston; employment is furnished for
about 250 employees. The cigar manufacturing industry is one of the
most thriving of New Brunswick ; Bayuk Brothers & Company employed
in the neighborhood of 300 males and females; the New Brunswick
Cigar Company have on their payroll 750 employees; the Forty-four
Cigar Company, Incorporated, gives employment to 185 ; the Cans Broth-
ers have about 85 in their employ; the Tri-State Cigar Company has
emplo3rment for about 40; and there are other small cigar manufacturers.
William Black & Company do an extensive business in supplying these
and other manufacturers with cigar boxes.
Besides the United States Rubber Company, previously mentioned,
who carry on their payroll 500 employees, there are engaged in the rubber
industry the Howe Rubber Company, who manufacture automobile
inner tubes, employing 225 hands; and the Indian Tire and Rubber
Company, who manufacture hard rubber goods, furnishing employment
to 400. The Somerset Rubber Reclaiming Works are situated on George
road. There are two machine shops manufacturing knitting machine
needles — ^the Loyal T. Ives Company, employing in that industry about
250 employees, and Fred J. Potter Company, on Somerset and Bethany
streets, while knitting machinery is made by the Crawford Manufactur-
ing Company and the Kilboum Manufacturing Company. The manu-
facture of aprons is carried on by J. M. Barkelew & Company on the
comer of Weldon street and Remsen avenue. Instead of a carpet factory
there are two weaving establishments that convert rags into carpets and
rugs. The Ringwalt Linoleum Works are also engaged in the manufac-
turing of floor coverings.
The Brunswick Refrigerating Company at their plant at the end
of Jersey avenue, manufactures refrigerating and ice making machinery,
employing 175 hands. The National Musical String Company on
Georges road, near the city line, gives emplo)rment to 125 hands ; musi-
cal strings and harmonicas are produced. The Janeway Button Com-
pany, employing 150 hands, are engaged in producing a vegetable ivory
button. The New Brunswick Brass Foundry produces brass, bronze
and aluminum castings. The Cronk Manufacturing Company furnishes
doors, sashes, mouldings, interior finish, mantels, tiles and packing cases.
The Consolidated Fruit Jar Company, already mentioned, employs 325
hands. The Webb Wire Works on Liberty street manufactures musical
wire and is the largest factory in the United States for the production
of this article of merchandise. The Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation,
of which the celebrated engineer, General George W. Goethals, was
president, occupied during the war the plant of the Simplex Automobile
Company on Jersey avenue, near Sandford street. Here aviation and
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Liberty engines were manufactured, three shifts being employed daily
during the duration of the war, employment being given to over 8,000
employees. The works are now operated by International Motor Com-
pany, who employed at the present time about 1,500 hands. These
industries have been further dealt with in another chapter of this work,
devoted to the manufacturing industries of the county.
The introduction of rapid transit marked an important era in the
history of New Brunswick's progress and enterprise. The legislature
on February 13, 1867, by an act granted a charter for a street railway
which included an ordinance of the city for a franchise passed November
30, 1866. The parties interested in this charter never availed themselves
of its privileges. Matters laid dormant until in September, 1885, when
George W. Ballou and F. M. Delano, residents of New York, came to
the city, looking for an opportunity to develop street railway territory.
After the investigation of several routes, they employed C. T. Cowen-
hoven as their counsel to take the necessary steps to procure them a
legal status. Judge Cowenhoven discovered the existence of the former
charter, and that it was still alive and effective. In February, 1886, he
secured from the surviving charter parties a transfer of their rights to
the New Brunswick City Railroad Company. This corporation after
being duly organized elected C. T. Cowenhoven, president; George C.
ToUe, secretary; Carroll Sprigg, treasurer, and Josiah Tice, superinten-
dent. The directors were C. T. Cowenhoven, R. H. Becker, George
Berdine, C. W. Kent, all of New Brunswick, and F. M. Delano, Carroll
Sprigg, George W. Ballou, all of New York.
While these movements were in progress, Woodbridge Strong, rep-
resenting New York capitalists, filed a certificate of incorporation under
the general incorporation act for the New Brunswick & Suburban
Railway Company. The two eminent attorneys, Cowenhoven & Strong,
soon locked their legal horns, and a struggle was commenced before
the city council as to which company should be granted the city fran-
chise. This rivalry soon assumed a partisan aspect, but was of short
duration, it being decided in favor of the Cowenhoven road. The ordi-
nance granting the New Brunswick City Railway Company the franchise
was passed by the common council, March 26, 1886. Work on the
railroad began on Somerset street, but in a week's time, owing to lack
of material, it was suspended until May 26, 1886, when a formal contract
was made with Philip Richardson, of New York, to build and equip the
road, he agreeing to have it in running order September 15, 1886, which
was in compliance with the terms of the ordinance granting the fran-
chise. Mr. Richardson sublet the contract to Thomas B. Conway of
New York, who commenced work about July i, pushing it forward with
vigor until September i, when he stopped and filed a mechanic's lien
for the work already done. This trouble was settled in a few dajrs,
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 307
George W. Ballou furnishing funds to meet the indebtedness to the
contractor. This delay necessitated an application to the city council
for an extension for completion to October 15, which was granted.
In the meantime Judge Cowenhoven resigned the presidency. The
railroad from its inception has been known as "the Cowenhoven road,"
to distinguish from "the Strong road." Judge Cowenhoven had been
its godfather at its birth and during its sickly infancy; it was to his
patience and perseverance that its completion was due; he had fulfilled
every pledge given to the public or the city council, and shirked no
legal or moral obligation in connection with the enterprise. He resigned
the presidency and directorship in the company and was succeeded by
F. M. Delano.
The road was opened for public travel October 14, 1886, and in honor
of the occasion the city buildings, business blocks and residences were
decorated with flags and bunting. Soon after noon, along George street
the people began to collect; five cars were promptly lined up, the first
carried Union Cornet Band, the second, members of the city council
and press, the others being filled with the clergy and citizens. The
train started at half past two o'clock and proceeded to the Elmwood
Cemetery; on its return trip passed St. Mary's Orphans' Home, finally
landing the passengers at the Central Hotel, where the cars were given
over to the public for a free ride during the afternoon. The invited
guests were entertained with a collation given at the hotel ; while salads,
both lobster and chicken, with bread sandwiches, cold ham and corned
beef, played an important part on the menu, the liquid wants of the
invited guests were not neglected, as both brandy punch and claret punch
added their charms, to be dispensed to the hungry and thirsty partici-
pants. The tracks for this road were laid on College avenue, but later
were taken up and the Easton avenue route substituted.
The days of street horse car railroads have long since passed into
oblivion; those of the elder generation can recall when they had to
leave their comfortable seats to place their shoulders at the front or
back of the car to help the overworked equines to proceed on their
journey. Electricity in course of time was applied to the street railroad
system of New Brunswick, and with its introduction the city became
the center of a trolley system diverging north, south, east and west,
giving connection with New York, Philadelphia, and neighboring cities
and towns.
The oldest fire organization formed in New Brunswick was in 1764,
when a bucket company was established; in 1796 two engines were
purchased by the city. There had been previous to this several dis-
astrous fires. In the dead of night on February 17, 1741, the home of
Philip French, with its entire contents, was destroyed. The residence
was one of the largest and most complete in the province of New Jersey,
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and bad only been built a year. Mr. Frcndi and his family hardly
escaped with their lives ; two of his daughters were forced to jump out
a window two stories high. A noted conflagratioo was Aat of April 14,
1768, when a fire broke out in the house of Widow Dflldine ; the residence
of the widow, also the bake shop and house of John Van Nordan, Jr.,
were a total wreck. A high wind si»xad the flames across the street
to the house of James Neilson, which was destroyed, with ax)pcT Aop
and bottling establishment. The dwelling house and store of Peter
Vandenburg and the residence of Widow Cramer were also burned;
with the help of the military and citizens, adjoining buildings were
pulled down to stop the progress of the flames. At one o'clock on the
morning of February 28, 1771, a fire broke out in the bam of John
Dennis, which resulted in the loss amounting to over £ijooo. During
the occupation of the city by General Howe and the British troops, the
house of Brook Farmer, with adjoining residences, was completely
destroyed by fire.
The Washington Engine Company was organized October 11, 1795.
They were equipped with buckets only ; later a hand engine was supplied,
and in 1867 the first steam engine was purchased, which was kept in use
until 1902, when another engine was purchased from the American
Steam Engine Company. The Neptune Engine Company was organized
within the same year. Its first home was on the Christ Church grounds,
comer of Neilson and Church streets. The company was reorganized
and at the time they received their first hand engine became known as
the **Red Jackets." Later the company removed to the comer of Bayard
and Neilson streets. In 1857 they were housed in the City Hall on
Liberty Street, but in December, 1877, they removed to New
Street. The first steam engine was purchased in 1865; it was
replaced by a La Franc engine in 1888. The Phoenix Engine Company,
organized in 1798, had three engines before receiving their first steam
engine, an Amoskeag apparatus, March 31, 1866. This was replaced in
1902 by a Metropolitan engine. The first home of the company was on
Little Burnet street. Later they were located on the comer of Neilson
and Bayard streets. Their third removal was to the old City Hall on
Liberty street, and finally to their present quarters on Dennis street
The first great conflagration took place in 1796, when nearly the
entire city was wiped out. The State at that time appropriated $5fiO0
for the relief of the sufferers. The Christ Church steeple was struck
by lightning on Washington's birthday in 1802, causing the spire to
bum to the base of the tower, when a snowstorm put the fire out. In
181 3 the city was visited by another disastrous fire; this was of an
incendiary origin. A negress nursing a real or fancied grievance against
a resident of the city, fired his house in revenge. Five years later there
.were twenty-five wells in the city to be used for fire protection, and in
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 309
1818 fifteen more were added. It was about the year 1820 that the
common council named nine citizens to act as "bagman/' Their duties
were to attend fires, with large leather bags in which to place valuables
and remove them to a place of safety. This was one of the first salvage
corps organized in the State. A fire broke out October 18, 1821, in a
paint shop near Dennis and Church streets. The flames quickly spread
to the Schenck homestead ; it was thought at first that A. V. Schenck,
later a mayor of the city, then an infant of two weeks, had perished,
but later developments revealed the fact that the baby had been bor-
rowed by a neighbor before the commencement of the fire. Two hotels
and stables on Water street were destroyed by fire July 11, 1832. In
that year the Raritan Engine Company was formed with a roll of thirty
members. Their first apparatus was the box engine originally used by
the Phoenix Company. The company's first home was a frame building
on the comer of George and Schureman streets, where it remained for
fifty years. After a temporary location of seven years, the company
secured quarters on Remsen avenue. Previous to obtaining its Clapp
& Jones steam engine in 1881, it had used several hand apparatuses.
The company was furnished with a new engine in 1907. The Protection
Engine Company's history dates back prior to the year 1830, when it
was located on George street. In 1843 ^^ nioved to George and Somerset
streets, and is now ensconced in a handsome building on Wall street.
Like other companies in the city, it started out with a hand engine.
After it entered the city department it was supplied with a Hope steamer,
which was replaced in 1885 by a Silsby engine. Before the organization
in 1835 of a Hook and Ladder Company, ladders were placed in the
homes of various citizens for the use of firemen. An up-to-date truck
was purchased in 1876. The White Hall Hotel stables were for a sec-
ond time destroyed by fire July 3, 1834. A large fire took place May
21, 1842, when the Raritan Hotel near the depot was destroyed. The
Liberty Hose Company was organized July 31, 1853. I* was later
equipped with combination wagon with hook and ladder outfit, chemical
apparatus and a full supply of fire hose. The Hibemia Engine Company
started in 1865 with a hand engine, which was replaced by a Dennison
steam engine in 1871.
Among the other important fires of the city was that of the Baptist
church in 1849; the previous year the steamboat "Raritan" on its pas-
sage from New Brunswick to New York was totally destroyed; the
machine shop of Randolph & Holmes, July 15, 1850, the rubber factory
on the comer of New and Drift streets in 1853 also suffered loss by fire.
The fire on Commerce square occurred January 15, 1862; the Star Lin-
seed Oil Works were a total loss November 21, 1871 ; was rebuilt and
burned again in September, 1875. The Canal stables suffered a loss by
fire October 24, 1873, ^^^ ^^^^ totally destroyed by another fire March
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i6, 1874. The grocery stand of Suydam & Nevius succumbed to the
flames in November, 1875, ^"^ ^^ ^^^ same year the old Swan stables
near Washington street were destroyed by fire. The Augustus Hyatt
Rubber Company's works on Neilson street suffered a complete loss of
property and machinery in 1876 ; the same year fire broke out in Charles
Lemon's dwelling on the corner of Suydam and Drift streets, its owner
being consumed in the flames.
The Pennsylvania railroad's wooden bridge was burned November
9, 1878. Its successor was an iron structure which in turn was replaced
by the present stone bridge, the first train passing over the latter May
ii> 1903. The railroad shops on Easton avenue were the scene of a
fire November 22, 1879. The next year, June 30, Hammell's store was
reduced to ashes and George Rebotham was killed; the same year,
November 20, the old ice house at the upper lock was destroyed. The
important fire in 1882 was February 28, when the Holmes canning shop,
foot of Albany street, was a total loss; the following year, on May 6,
Jarrod's cigar factory was burned. The great oil train fire occurred
February 7, 1883, Frank Deeman, brakeman, and Patrick Dougherty
were burned to death. The fire was caused by two oil trains colliding
on the Pennsylvania railroad bridge. The 'flaming oil ran into the
sewer and reaching the buildings of Janeway & Company, completely
destroyed the building. The well known landmark "The Rink," was
burned July 28, 1891. The steamboat""Ncw Brunswick," when on its
regular trip between New Brunswick and New York, was consumed by
fire August 7, 1902. It was a total loss, and the remains of the steam-
boat were towed to Gregory's Graveyard at Perth Amboy. The large
factory of Janeway & Carpender on the comer of Schuyler and Pater-
son streets was destroyed by fire in 1907 ; the present factory was then
built in Highland Park. Fire swept the plant of the Empire Foundry
Company on Jersey avenue, March 19, 1909, causing a loss of $100,000,
the pattern storage house, the engine house and one or two other small
buildings were destroyed. The plant was originally built by the New
Brunswick Foundry Company in 1897. Gray iron castings, gas and
coal stoves and automobile cylinders were manufactured.
The present paid fire department of six companies is equipped with
four steamers, one hook and ladder truck, one chemical engine; all of
automobile construction.
Free Public Library — ^The foundation of a public library in New
Brunswick was agitated in the latter part of the eighteenth century,
when a meeting was called January 15, 1796, for establishing such an
institution. The library of Rutgers College, founded thirty years pre-
vious to this, was exclusively for the use of the students. The fifteen
gentlemen who attended the primary meeting agreed that a share in
the new library should be five dollars, subject to an annual tax of one
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PUBLIC LIBRARY. NEW BRUNSWICK
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 311
dollar and fifty cents. The name chosen was the "Union Library Com-
pany." It was located on the northwest comer of Albany and Neilson
streets. The librarian was John Hill, who continued to perform the
duties until his death in 181 1, when he was succeeded by Miss Hannah
Scott. During the War of 1812, the library was wholly suspended, but
later was revived by a few of the original members.
A second library was incorporated in 1820, but in May of the fol-
lowing year the two libraries were merged into one, under the name of
the "New Brunswick Library Company." This company continued in
existence for over a quarter of a century, but finally suspended; the
books were consigned to the trustees of Rutgers College for safe-
keeping. In May, 1868, they were transferred to the Young Men's
Christian Association for the foundation of their library, and continued
tmder their control until 1888, when the directors presented about
2,900 volumes to the New Brunswick Free Circulating Library, incor-
porated March 3, 1883, which was opened to the public March 23, 1883.
This was the first free circulation of books in New Jersey; previous
to this date, while a number of libraries had free reading rooms, a
charge was made for the home use of the books. The library was
situated in a small frame house on the comer of George and Church
streets; afterwards moved to a building on the northwest corner of
Albany and Peace streets.
At the municipal election in 1890, the question whether the library
should be supported by taxation was submitted to the people, and
resulted in practically a unanimous vote in its favor. The Free
Public Library of New Brunswick was incorporated and began its work
April I, 1891. The Free Public Library and Free Circulating Library
both moved in 1892 to the southwest comer of George and Paterson
streets, which they continued to occupy until November 17, 1903. The
city of New Brunswick was presented by Andrew Carnegie in 1902
with $50,000 for the purpose of erecting a library building, on condition
that the city engaged to contribute $5,000 a year for its maintenance
and support, and provide a suitable site for the building. A lot was
purchased by the city on Livingston avenue, between Morris and Welton
streets, on which was erected the present building. Notable donations
of books have been received at various times, among which mention is
made of the Ladies' Book Club of 1,141 volumes, and the New Bmns-
wick Book Club of 310 volumes. The Free Circulating Library was
disbanded May 8, 1907, and its 10480 books were given to the Free
Library; the cash balance of the former, amounting to $2,800, was
expended for new books, making a total of 26,000 volumes on the shelves
of the Free Library, and increased at the present time to 40462 vol-
umes ; the circulation for the year 1920 was over 108,000 volumes. The
present librarian is Miss Mary A. Walker, who has been connected
with the institution for over a score of years.
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There was established by the Board of Education in 1921 a Public
School Library Advisory Board of six members, for the purpose of
extending and adding the school libraries of the city. The members of
the board are : John P. Wall, chairman ; Mrs. Robert C. Nicholas, vice-
chairman; Miss Susan V. Knox, secretary; Mr. George A. Osbom,
Mrs. Ira T. Chapman and Mrs. A. L. Smith.
The "New Brunswick Times," now published at New Brunswick,
New Jersey, as 'The Sunday Times," is one of the five oldest newspapers
in the United States, having first appeared as the "Guardian and New
Brunswick Advertiser" in 1792 as a weekly. It has the distinction of
having been published in three centuries.
Its founder, Abraham Blauvelt, who was bom in Tappan, Rockland
county. New York, was one of New Brunswick's leading citizens. Under
his direction the "Guardian and New Brunswick Advertiser" was a
staunch Federal organ, and had quite a circulation in Central New
Jersey. On June i, 1815, the name was changed to the "New Bruns-
wick Times and General Advertiser." The paper was then published
every Thursday by Deare and Myer, at Washington's Head, New
Brunswick. The subscription rate was $2.50 per annum, the same rate
at which it is now published, one hundred twenty-nine years later. Then
Albert Speer became the publisher and the newspaper became Demo-
cratic in principle. Mr. Speer continued the publication until his death
in 1869. The "Daily News," started by Alphonso E. Gordon in March,
1851, and a new Democratic paper, the "New Jersey Union," first
issued in May, 1847, ^^^^ by Mr. Gordon, were sold by him to Mr.
Speer. He combined all three papers under the name of the "New
Brunswick Times." On his death, William B. Guild of Newark bought
the paper and in November, 1869, published "The Daily Times." Mr.
Gordon returned from Grand Rapids, Michigan, on December 28, 1871,
and again became owner of "The Times." He conducted it very suc-
cessfully for several years, being offered $35,000 for the business at one
time. Mr. Gordon became a United States marshal tmder the admin-
istration of Grover Cleveland, and for a time the paper was run by
subordinates. In 1890, former State Senator John Carpender of Clinton,
New Jersey, became its owner.
Two years later the Times Publishing Company bought it out. This
stock company was composed of Millard F. Ross, William H. Price,
James Deshler, Oliver Kelly, W. Parker Runyon, J. Kearney Rice and
Edward Furman. The paper was made an eight-page daily and others
wise improved. It still remained Democratic in politics. J. D. Chandlee
acted as editor until 1896, when Francis W. Daire succeeded him. On
September 11, 1906, he purchased the stock, with the exception of four
shares to continue the life of the corporation, and became owner as
well as editor. He sold his stock in May, 1908, to Linn E. Wheeler,
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 313
who was editor until October 2$, igog, when he resigned. Samuel M.
Christie succeeded him.
The control of the paper was purchased on May 15, 1912, by J. David
Stern, no change being made in the staff until January 23, 1913, when
Mr. Christie resigned as editor and George D. Johnson was elected his
successor. In May, 191 5, the "New Brunswick Times" was purchased
by the Home News Publishing Company, and George C. Ingling was
made editor. A year later, on May 16, 1916, it was discontinued as a
daily, and has since been published as "The Sunday Times" under the
same management and editor. The paper is independent in politics, its
chief policy being to boost every movement for the welfare of the city.
Board of Trade — With a clear vision of what might be achieved for
the advancement of the city by the cooperation of the merchants, manu*
facturers and professional men, a conference of public-spirited citizens
was held May 10, 1909, to discuss the organization of a Board of Trade
in New Brunswick. Those who took an active interest in the movement
felt that a time had arrived when the interests of the city could be better
advanced by the formation of some civic or commercial body to serve
as a clearing house for many of the activities that were likely to develop
with the fiuther growth of the community. The list of men interested
comprised Henry G. Parker, Charies A. McCormick, George A. Vieh-
mann, William R. Reed, Edward W. Hicks, P. P. Runyon, H. B. Zim-
merman, Peter F. Daly, Neilson T. Parker, James Mershon and George
Berdine. A committee of twelve was named to submit plans for an
organization, with Mr. George A. Viehmann as chairman. Mr. H. G.
Parker, president of the National Bank of New Jersey, was the first
president. Mr. F. M. Yorston was chosen secretary, and served con-
tinuously in that capacity until February 12, 1920. Fresh impetus was
given to the work of the Board of Trade on January 12, 1910, when
eighty-seven new members were elected, and twenty-six more names
were added at the meeting held February 9, 1910.
Each successive year saw an increased membership and a broadening
of the activities of the organization with a corresponding benefit to the
city. It took the lead in all movements for civic improvement, and in
June, 1916, a comprehensive plan for a "city planning" scheme was
prepared by Mr. H. J. March under its direction. Although nothing
has as yet been accomplished along these lines, the matter was revived
several months ago when the Rotary Club had Mr. March outline the
details of his plan at a public meeting, and all of the various organiza-
tions of the city were asked to name a representative to serve on a
committee to take up the matter with the City Commission. Some day
New Brunswick will have a definite City Planning Scheme, and it will
owe its success to the preliminary work conducted by the Board of
Trade.
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Good government is a subject in which the organization has displayed
great interest. Its members have advocated clean, honest and efficient
government in city, county and State affairs throughout its existence.
It started the campaign for a Commission Form of Government in June,
191 1, when resolutions were adopted committing the Board to that
movement, and its members fought valiantly for the change until it was
ultimately accomplished.
The interests of the taxpayers, both of the city and county, have
always appealed to the Board of Trade. Through its active work in
following the affairs of the county, the burden of repairs incident to the
two big bridges spanning the Raritan river — ^the one between Perth
Amboy and South Amboy, and the bridge at the foot of Albany street
to Highland Park — were both taken over by the State Highway Com-
mission, thereby relieving the taxpayers of Middlesex county of an
annual expense for maintenance of approximately $50,000; and the erec-
tion of a new bridge at Perth Amboy at an estimated cost of $2,500,000,
of which $1,000,000 will be paid by the Federal government, the balance
representing an expense the county would have had to bear had the
present bridge not been taken over.
The Board took up the matter of the bond issue in connection with
the building of the Cranbury turnpike, and the ultimate outcome of the
matter was a saving of $334,000 to the taxpayers. The organization
made a fight for the annexation of the Lincoln Gardens Section to the
city, which was finally accomplished, and it resulted in adding a pro-
gressive community and giving New Brunswick additional railroad
siding facilities. Repeatedly, the Board has gone on record in favor
of "open specifications" for road work, and the efforts of Mr. S. P.
Leeds, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Atlantic City, to free
the State from the grip of the patent pavement trust, has had the
endorsement of the organization.
When the rate of fare charged for commutation tickets between New
Brunswick and New York was increased to twelve dollars in 191 1, the
Board of Trade championed the cause of the commuters. The fight was
won, and approximately from $10,000 to $12,000 a year was saved to
the commuters until the Federal government took over the big trans-
portation lines and arbitrarily raised the rates.
In civic affairs the Board of Trade has always been found as sponsor
for every movement that meant a Bigger and Better New Brunswick. It
recommended a Paid Fire Department ; appointive School Board ; Voca-
tional School System ; a filtration plant for the Water System ; a Traffic
Ordinance ; better paved sidewalks and improved streets — and had much
to do with the extension of a sewer system to a part of the city which
was quickly developed into a residential section.
Much work has been done by the Board of Trade towards better
shipping facilities for New Brunswick and vicinity. Just before the
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 3^5
war, the Pennsylvania railroad had agreed to spend nearly $100,000 for
a new freight station and yard facilities. When the railroad is in better
shape financially, this will probably be done. The Lehigh Valley
railroad industrial siding is now within a mile and a quarter of Highland
Park, to which point it will be extended before long. The extension
of the express service has been accomplished both in the city and High-
land Park.
Through the work of the Board of Trade it is estimated that more
than a score of important industries have been located in and near the
city, and there has been spent for plants and equipment approximately
$8,000,000. The Simplex Automobile Company was brought here in
1910. Through an agreement whereby the Board of Trade agreed to
assume a certain part of the taxes of that concern, the Company remained
in the city, enlarged its plant and its payroll was considerably increased.
It was followed by the Wright Martin Automobile Company, which in
turn was succeeded by the Wright Aeronautical Corporation. When
the Armistice was signed, November 11, 1918, there were close to eight
thousand war workers employed in this one big essential industry.
Many other industries, too, had their share of war work, and the city
enjoyed a wave of unparalleled prosperity due to the high wages that
were being paid to the workers.
In 191 5, when the movement was launched for the establishment of
the New Jersey College for Women, it had the endorsement of the
Board. The organization has always stood back of Rutgers College, the
Rutgers Preparatory School and the school system of New Brunswick,
the interests of which the members have always sought in advance.
New Brunswick distinguished itself in all of the Liberty Loan cam-
paigns by always subscribing more than the quotas assigned to it,
which was true in the United War Work campaign, and all subsequent
benevolent drives. The Board of Trade did its full share in all of these
campaigns.
In 1919 the Retail Merchants' Division was formed, and the history
of this adjunct of the Board is along the lines of the parent organiza-
tion. It has conducted various campaigns of all kinds, ''dollar day
sales," and its cooperation in the work of the Board of Trade advances
the interests of the merchants in every respect.
Early in the history of the organization conferences were held with
Congressman Benjamin F. Howell regarding the improvement of the
Raritan river, the need of which has long been apparent. Many years ago
steamers plied between New Brunswick and New York, and it was
through one of these lines that Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt earned
the foundation of his great fortune. In November, 191 1, Wilfred H.
Schoif, secretary of the Atlantic Deeper Waterways Association, ad-
dressed the Board. In June, 1913, a committee had a conference with
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Congressman Thomas J. Scully. In December, 1916, Hon. J. Spencer
Smith, of the State Board of Commerce and Navigation, spoke before the
Board. It soon developed that the lack of a terminal at New Brunswick,
which would provide a docking place for boats, militated against all
efforts for deeper water. The Federal government in 1919 adopted the
policy that no waterway would be improved unless the municipality
provided adequate terminal facilities.
Then the advocates of deeper water had their attention directed to
the need for a better channel when the Eastern Potash Corporation
began the erection of its immense potash plant on the banks of the
Raritan river, about two miles below the city. The announcement that
this company planned to bring tank steamers carrying eight thousand
barrels of crude oil from Mexico for fuel purposes, made it apparent that
the steamers would not be able to land at the dock of the company until
the Raritan river was deepened.
About this time the Raritan Terminal and Waterways Association
was projected. It is made up of the affiliated civic and governing bodies
of nine municipalities on the Raritan river and bay, and New Brunswick
took an active part in its organization, and the Board of Trade has
several of its members numbered among the directors. This organiza-
tion has advocated deeper channels to New Brunswick, and its ultimate
object is to make Perth Amboy, South Amboy, Keyport and New Bruns-
wick all seaports. As a result of its work, a hearing on the project was
held at New Brunswick in December, 1920, by Colonel J. N. Sanford,
the district engineer, for the purpose of determining the need for making
the channel fifteen feet in depth to New Brunswick. Also, the chief of
engineers recommended $100,000 for the Raritan river, but the river
and harbor bill was reduced from $36,000,000 to $12,000,000, and the
Raritan river appropriation was cut proportionately. Because of the
importance to the commercial growth of New Brunswick, the deepening
of the Raritan river will be advocated by the Waterways Association,
backed by the Board of Trade, until it is finally accomplished.
The annual banquets of the Board of Trade have been notable affairs
throughout its existence, and some of the best after-dinner speakers in
the country have spoken before its members. Among them are Hon.
J. S. Frelinghuysen, United States Senator from New Jersey; J. Adam
Bede, the former humorist of Congress; Dr. Charles A. Eaton, Hon.
John H. Fahey, of Chicago ; Rev. S. Parkes Cadman, of Brooklyn ; Hon.
Charles S. Whitman, former Governor of New York; Haley Fiske,
president of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Dr. Frank
Crane, the noted writer ; former Governor J. F. Fielder ; Mayor J. Hamp-
ton Moore, of Philadelphia ; Job E. Hedges, of New York, and others.
The Board of Trade of New Brunswick holds membership in the
United States Chamber of Commerce, the New Jersey State Chamber
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 317
of Commerce, the Atlantic Deeper Waterways Association, and the
Raritan Terminal and Waterways Association. The oflScers are : Presi-
dent, Prof. Ralph G. Wright ; first vice-president, William G. Bearman ;
second vice-president, Harry Weida; third vice-president, Elmer E.
Connolly; treasurer, William Van Nuis, Jr.; secretary, C. S. Atkinson.
The list of former presidents follows : Henry G. Parker, George A. Vieh-
mann (deceased), Charles A. McCormick, William R. Reed, Leonard
S. Webb, E. P. Darrow, Robert Carson, O. O. Stillman, S. B. Carpender,
and P. J. Young.
Clubs and Societies — ^The New Brunswick Historical Club was in ex-
istence several years before its complete organization, August 17, 1875.
A constitution and by-laws were adopted in 1871, members' names were
annexed as soon as they were admitted. The club held annual meet-
ings at Rutgers College until 1878, when a suite of rooms was fitted
up in the Booraem House on Church street. The expenses being heavy,
after a year the club became inactive, but through the efforts of a few
literary citizens, it was revived, becoming one of the leading organiza-
tions of its kind in the eastern section of New Jersey. Meetings are
held the third Thursday in each month during the college year, in
the Fine Arts room, Rutgers College.
Inspired with the spirit of good fellowship and a desire to extend
the principles of International Rotary, a group of twenty-three business
men met at the Hotel Klein in May, 1920. Subsequent meetings were
held, and James Orr, of the Elizabeth Rotary Club, attended the pre-
liminary meetings and explained the scope of the organization and did
some excellent work in aiding with the formation of the Rotary Club
of New Brunswick.
The Club then adjourned for the summer months, and on September
9, 1920, the charter was presented to the Club, with the following enrolled
as charter members: C. S. Atkinson, Lawrence Ballou, William G.
Bearman, Harry F. Beldon, Elmer B. Boyd, Charles H. Bruns, G. Harold
Buttler, Sydney B. Carpender, Rev. C. J. Culp, Walter B. Flavell, H. J.
Long, Alex. Merchant, Henry MorafF, John J. Monigan, Ramon Mon-
talvo, Jr., Dr. R. L. McKiernan, Clifford Parsil, Martin E. Roach, H. R.
Segoine, Bert Stowell, F. V. Terrill, Harry Weida, Dr. H. F. Zerfing.
The following officers were elected : President, Ramon Montalvo, Jr. ;
vice-president, F. V. Terrill ; secretary. Dr. R. L. McKiernan ; treasurer.
Rev. C. J. Culp; sergeant-at-arms, Harry F, Beldon. Directors — Harry
F. Beldon, Sydney B. Carpender, Rev. C. J. Culp, Walter B. Flavell,
Dr. R. L. McKiernan, Ramon Montalvo, Jr., Martin E. Roach, Frank V.
Terrill, Harry Weida.
Twenty boys who had never been on Broadway enjoyed the hospi-
tality of the Club at Christmas, and the Hippodrome, with many other
interesting sights, will be pleasant thoughts in years to come. Through
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the efforts of the Club a Municipal Christmas Tree was enjoyed at
Christmas, and the singing of carols was a rare treat for the citizens.
The Club took an active interest in the Red Cross Campaign, and
over $500 was raised towards the campaign fund. The generosity of
the Club was enjoyed by the boys of the Rice Industrial School (col-
ored) when about forty boys were given a Christmas dinner at the
Y. M. C. A., and each presented with several toys. A Ladies' Night
was enjoyed by the members and their wives, February 23, 1921, at Hotel
Klein. The Club was well represented at the Poughkeepsie Conference
and at "Jersey Day," held at the McAlpin Hotel, New York, when
twenty-six out of thirty-three members were in attendance, which was
a remarkable showing for an out-of-town lunche5n.
The Club increased in numbers during the first year of its existence,
and it became an organization that displayed an active interest in all
matters affecting the civic welfare of the city.
Although organized here so recently as March 23rd of the present
year (1921), the New Brunswick Den of Lions body has had an auspi-
cious beginning, and has scheduled an array of activities promising of
great benefit to the city in all its varied relations. It is one of a multitude
of "Dens" throughout the country, whose membership is of the best,
representing every profession, but mainly of active business men who
are necessarily brought into intimate association with public affairs.
Its meetings are at the noon hour, and their declared purpose is "For the
promotion of greater efficiency through the exchange of experiences,
ideas and methods."
The New Brunswick Den already numbers forty members — citizens
of every walk of life — ^who are interested in the welfare of the city,
both materially and morally, and whose patriotism is of the highest
order. They realize that the present time is one of the greatest im-
portance, burdened with problems such as have never before been
known — with business embarrassments, with conflicting interests, with
varied views as to legislation and governmental authority in the com-
munity, the State and the Nation. At the base of all this is the individ-
ual citizen, whom the Lions seek to bring into intimate association with
his fellows, that they may through consultation and united effort exert
a potent influence upon society and in all the channels of citizenship
duty, upholding and maintaining that which is b^st for city. State and
Nation, and furthering by all that in them lies, all proper movements
looking to the betterment of mankind and the establishment of a reign
of peace throughout the world.
The organization of the New Brunswick Den of Lions was effected
on the date before mentioned, ^t Hotel Klein, when the following officers
were elected: Norman H. Smith, president; John J. Morrison, Edward
J. Houghton and Walter C. Sedam, vice-presidents; Edward H. Mon-
aghan, secretary and treasurer ; and the following named trustees : Har-
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 319
court St. P. Ward, Dr. Edwin I. Cronk, Dr. Philip L. Schwartz, Frederick
Gowen, James A. Harkins and Raymond P. Wilson.
Among the clubs organized for athletics and sports are the New
Brunswick Boat Club, incorporated in 1892, having a clubhouse at
Albany street bridge. The New Brunswick Country Club, organized
in 1894, is located on the River road near the New Market road. The
New Brunswick Yacht Club, incorporated in 191 1, maintains rooms
on Albany street, and a station near Albany street bridge. The New
Brunswick Gun Club has a house and rifle range on the River road.
Religious associations and clubs are the Young Men's Christian
Association, the Young Men's Hebrew Association, and Christ Church
Club, whose objects and aims are to foster church life and church
work among the males of the parish, to promote Christian and social
fellowship among its members. The Catholic Club was organized May
4, 1869. The Love and Brotherhood Hebrew Society meets on Burnet
street. There are also miscellaneous associations, societies and clubs,
whose members are interested in the social, benevolent or business
interests of the city.
The Charity Organization Society of New Brunswick was established
in October, 1884, for the promotion of whatever tends to the permanent
improvement of the condition of the poor ; first, by aiding and directing
those who have gifts to bestow; second, by suppressing professional
begging by preventing indiscriminate giving. The Children's Indus-
trial Home on Somerset street was established in 1877, ^^^ ^^^ reception
of girls and boys between the ages of three and ten years, instructing
and providing for them until old enough to be placed in good homes,
or becoming of age, when they can care for themselves. The institution
is controlled by a directorate of twenty-seven ladies and gentlemen,
and accommodation is given to about seventy inmates, the average being
about fifty.
The Humane Society, organized in 1806, distributes coal to the worthy
poor during the winter season. The city is divided into thirteen dis-
tricts under the charge of resident managers. The Middlesex County
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was incorporated in
1884, and the Middlesex County District Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals in 1907. The Dorcas Society and Day Nursery
was established in 1813, and holds meetings at No. 14 French street. St.
Mary's Orphan Asylum, a Roman Catholic institution under the control
of the Diocese of Trenton, was founded in 1883. It ^s located on Easton
avenue, opposite Huntington street, and is under the charge of the
Sisters of St. Francis.
Banking and Insurance — ^The early financial history of New Bruns-
wick seems to have been attended with more or less disaster. The first
bank was the Bank of New Brunswick, in 1807, founded by Jacob R.
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Hardenbergh and others, and locally known as Hardenbergb's Bank. It
was located at the comer of George and Paterson streets, and continued
to do business for over a quarter of a century, suspending about 1834.
The State Bank of New Brunswick was chartered under an act of
the legislature of 1812, entitled "Act to EsUblish State Banks." This act
also chartered banks in Camden, Trenton, Elizabeth, Newark and Mor-
ristown. The directors named in the charter were Robert Lee, Bernard
Smith, Phineas Carman, Henry V. Low, John Outcalt, John Bray,
Jonathan Hutchings, Jonathan Squire, John Brewster, Daniel Perrine,
Robert McChesney, Jacob Snyder and Jacob Van Winckle. The bank
did business in the old State Bank building at the comer of Peace and
Albany streets. The first cashier was Daniel W. Disbrow, and its
presidents were Charles Smith, F. R. Smith, John B. Hill, John R. Ford
and Abraham Voorhees. During the money panic of 1873 ^^ bank
closed Its doors, September 13, but paid all its liabilities and was resus-
citated the following October by means of contributions from stock-
holders and others amounting to $750,000. It failed a second time,
March 31, 1877, when its alSairs were placed in the hands of Colonel
John W. Newell as receiver.
The third bank to be incorporated and the successor of the Bank
of New Brunswick, was the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank of New
Brunswick. The act of incorporation passed the legislature February
26, 1834. Its first president was James F. Randolph, who was succeeded
by Charles Dunham, who gave way to Abraham Suydam. The first
cashier was Lewis Carman. The bank first did business on Burnet
street, but subsequently removed to Church street, where it remained
until by a special State charter the Bank of New Jersey succeeded to
its business and as agent liquidated its affairs. The Bank of New
Jersey was chartered June 19, 1854; its first president was John Van
Dyke, and its cashier Moses T. Webb, who became president after
the resignation of Mr. Van Dyke in 1859. The vacancy thus created
was filled by the appointment of John T. Hill as cashier, in which
office he remained only a short time, when Isaac H. Voorhees became
his successor. Mr. Webb, on receiving an important commission in
the army in September, 1861, was succeeded in the presidency by
Garrett G. Voorhees. In February, 1864, John B. Hill became president,
and November 22, 1864. the Bank of New Jersey took advantage of the
new National Bank Act and was re-incorporated as a national bank, with
the title of the National Bank of New Jersey. The act of incorporation
was for twenty years, and was renewed in 1884 and 1904.
The First National Bank of New Brunswick, under the presidency
of Israel H. Hutchings, which had been organized with a capital stock
of $100,000, was merged in 1870 with the National Bank of New Jersey.
The capital stock of the National Bank of New Jersey is $250,000, and
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GEORGE STREET, NEW BRUNSWICK
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 321
its banking building was situated on the comer of Church and Neilson
streets. Mr. Hill's death occurring in 1874, he was succeeded as
president by James Dayton, who died in 1877 1 his successor was Mahlon
Runyon. Mr. Runyon died in 1884, when Lewis T. Howell became
president, serving until his death in 1903, when he was succeeded by
V. M. W. Suydam, who resigned January 1908, and Henry G. Parker,
who had been cashier since January i, 1894, was elected president, a
position which he now fills. The bank remained at the comer of
Church and Neilson streets until 19 10, when the present eight-story
building on the corner of George and Church streets was erected. This
seemed at the time an ambitious plan, there being one hundred offices
to rent in the building, but its success was immediate, as all rentable
space was taken within six months of the completion of the building.
The bank shows a continuous existence since the first charter taken in
1808 as the Bank of New Brunswick, which was succeeded by the
Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank, and in turn was succeeded by the Bank
of New Jersey, the latter becoming tt^e National Bank of New Jersey.
Its deposits have grown rapidly; at the time of moving into the new
quarters they amounted to $2,200,000, and at the present time are over
$10,000,000.
The People's National Bank was organized in March, 1887, ^^^
opened for business the following May 16. Its first banking office was
on the southeast comer of Neilson and Church streets. The growth
of this bank was phenomenal. With a capital stock of $100,000, it
soon accumulated undivided profits, and on June 3, 1895, it removed
to its present banking building on the comer of George and Church
streets. Its first president was George W. Devoe, who died November
20, 1890, and was succeeded by present incumbent, Benjamin F. Howell.
The surplus of the bank is $200,000, with undivided profits amounting
to $25,000.
The New Brunswick Trust Company, located at 352 George street,
was chartered in 1902. The company transacts a general banking
business, and acts as executor, trustee, guardian, agent for investing
personal funds and separate estates, etc. It also acts as trustee under
mortgage issued by a municipality or corporation to secure bond issues.
Its capital stock is $100,000, and there is a large undivided surplus.
The Middlesex Title Guarantee and Tmst Company was organized
in 1907, to do a general trust business and especially to examine and
guarantee titles to real estate, and has established a thorough system
covering Middlesex county. Much of its success is due to the energy
and activity of its first president, George A. Viehmann. Its office is
at No. 40 Paterson street, and since the death of Mr. Viehmann in 191 8,
August C. Streitwolf has filled the office of president.
The New Brunswick Savings Institution was incorporated March
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322 MIDDLESEX
15* i85i> 2Lnd established its banking house at 17 Albany street The
first president was Garrett G. Voorhees; secretary and treasurer, Neilson
Dunham. The present location is the comer of George and Church
streets, in a banking building erected in 1888. The bank has always
been conducted in a careful and conservative manner. The deposits
range over $3,000,000, and a handsome surplus has been accumulated.
The president is Nicholas G. Rutgers; the secretary and treasurer,
Charles A. Dunham.
The Dime Savings Bank was incorporated by an act approved
February 7, 1871. It commenced business at 137 George street, and
deposits were received from ten cents upwards, on which interest was
allowed from first of each month. The first directors were: Levi D.
Jarrard, Lyle Van Nuis, A. V. Schenck, Henry De Hart, Henry K.
Howe, Garrett G. Voorhees, Jehiel K. Hojrt, Robert G. Miller, Peter
L Stryker, Uriah De Hart, John V. H. Van Cleef, Henry N. Marsh,
Adrian Vermeule, George C. Ludlow, Amos Robins, Joseph L. Mul-
ford, Jacob E. Stout, Garret Conover, John M. Cornell and Miles Ross.
Even with this formidable array of names it failed to be prosperous,
and finally suspended in 1886, its depositors receiving a dividend of
sixteen cents on the dollar.
The New Brunswick Fire Insurance Company was organized
December 27, 1826, and commenced business May i, 1832. Its original
capital stock was $50,000, and for over seventy years it did purely local
business. In 1903 the capital stock was increased to $200,000, the man-
agement being vested in an able directorate consisting of George A.
Viehmann, president; D. L. Morrison, vice-president; Charles D. Ross,
secretary ; and E. B. Wyckoff, assistant secretary ; these, with Theodore
F. Hicks, William B. Lloyd, W. L. Perrin, W. F. RoUo and M. F.
Ross, formed the board of directors. The business was soon extended
into twenty-eight States, and in 1908 premiums received amounting
to $460,000. The capital stock has been increased several times, at
present being $500,000. It is represented in most of the States, except-
ing those generally known as of the Pacific Slope and a few of the South-
em and Western States. The death of Mr. Viehmann in 1918 caused the
election of Charles D. Ross as president. The vice-presidents are Daniel
L. Morrison and I. D. Qark ; the secretary and treasurer, E. B. WyckoflF.
The general ofiice of the company was formerly at No. 40 Paterson street ;
in August, 1920, removed to a new building constructed by the com-
pany, and devoted exclusively to its business, on Bayard street, oppo-
site the court house.
In the forties and fifties of the past century, there was an epidemic
of organizing assessment fire insurance companies under the general
laws of the State. Among these in 1846 was formed with a euphonic
title, the New Brunswick Mutual Fire Insurance Company. Its bust-
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 323
ness was simply local, being confined to writing policies of insurance
on real estate risks in Middlesex county. The general office of the
company is confined to the legal offices of its president, W. E. Florance,
in the National Bank of New Jersey building on George street, who,
with J. W. Helm as secretary, are its executive officers.
CHURCH HISTORY.
First Presbyterian Church — ^The first authentic date in the history
of the church is 1726, when Gilbert Tennent became its pastor. Its
organization may have preceded this settlement, but the loss of the
church records in 1776 places its history for its first half century with
no authentic testimony. The old records were supposed to have been
destroyed during the Revolution, when the house of Dr. Moses Scott,
a prominent elder, was entered and plundered by British troops. A
wooden building was erected by the congregation in 1727, small and
unpretentious, on Burnet street, just north of Oliver street, in the
center of the old Presbyterian burying ground. The accepted tradi-i
tion is that this building was set on fire and destroyed by the British
in their attack on New Brunswick.
The first great controversy in the Presbjrterian church in this
country was the disruption in 1741, which was not healed until 1758.
The question between the elements which were known as "Old" and
"New," was, briefly, whether or not revivals were to be encouraged,
and whether piety or education was most important in the gospel
ministry. Of the "New" side, Gilbert Tennent was the acknowledged
leader. The New Brunswick church, which had been first connected
with the Presbytery of Philadelphia, was in 1733 transferred to that
of East Jersey; subsequently, when the Presbyteries of East Jersey
and Long Island were merged in 1738 in that of New York, it was
set off with other churches to form the Presbytery of New Brunswick.
Here we have the origin of a Presbytery that has exerted in the course
of its long history a more commanding influence than any other in
the Presbyterian body. In the history of the church at this time, the
terms the "New Side" and the "New Brunswick party" are constantly
occurring as interchangeable. Between this party and the Synod of
Philadelphia, the "Old Side," the Presbjrtery of New York occupied
for a time ah intermediate position. It finally came into organic union
with the Presbytery of New Brunswick, the united body growing into
the Synod of New York, which on the reunion of 1758 outnumbered
the "Old Side" three to one, and included within itself the best part of
the vigor and piety of the Presbyterian body.
Mr. Tennent removed to Philadelphia in 1745, and the congregation
was left without a settled pastor for several years. There is a tradition
that Rev. Thomas Arthur was pastor from 1746 to 1751. The minutes of
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324 MIDDLESEX
the Presbytery show that a temporary supply was appointed in 1760,
which was repeated from time to time until 1768, when Rev. Israel
Reed became pastor. In 1784, solid facts are obtainable. Lots were
purchased, and the following year church walls were up and under
cover, but the edifice was not actually completed for several years. The
structure stood on the comer of George street, fronting on Paterson
street. It was built of bricks painted yellow, hence became known as
the "Old Yellow Church." An act of incorporation was obtained in
1784; two years later the congregation relinquished its partial claim
on Rev. Israel Reed, and Rev. Walter Monteith was called to the
pastorate. The congregation being short of funds, in 1786, applied to
the Legislature for the questionable aid of a lottery. This scheme was
entitled "The Elizabethtown and New Brunswick Church Lottery ;" the
highest prize was $2,000, the lowest $20. The net result to the New
Brunswick church was £665 13s. 5d., proclamation money. This
amount proved inadequate to discharge all debts, which were stated
to be, March 30, 1786, £1,426 3s. 2d., and was not finally liquidated
until May 6, 1801. The next pastor. Rev. Joseph Clark, installed Janu-
ary 4, 1797, died suddenly in office, October 20, 1813. He was a most
impressive preacher, of commanding influence, and left the church
with one hundred and twenty-seven members, nearly double the num-
ber at his accession. Rev. Leverett J. F. Huntington was installed
pastor December 5, 181 5. His services were particularly attractive
to the young, and during his pastorate, in the year 1816, the Sabbath
school was established. It was the first in the city to be organized,
like the original ones in England, for neglected children rather than
those of Christian families. Mr. Huntington died May 11, 1820, and
Rev. Samuel B. How was installed pastor in 1821. His term of service
was brief, as on July 25, 1825, Rev. Joseph H. Jones was installed.
Under his pastorate the church immediately entered on a new
career. A parsonage was built in 1827; and a new church fronting on
George street instead of Paterson street, was dedicated December 15,
1836, at the cost of $23,328.26. Dr. Jones was a man of rare gifts, both
in pulpit and parish. He had the hearts of the congregation with him
and its cooperation in all his efforts. He resigned in 1838 to accept a
call to the Sixth Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia. The member-
ship of the church when he left was 411 souls. The congregation next
enjoyed the ministry of Rev. Robert Birch, who was Installed March
4» 1839 5 ^^^ pastorate was short, being terminated by his death, Septem-
ber 12, 1842. Then followed one of the longest pastorates in the history
of the church. The Rev. Robert Davidson was installed May 4, 1843.
Gas was introduced, and repairs made on the session house in 1852;
a year or two later a thorough refurnishing of the church was under-
taken. Dr. Davidson's pastoral relations were dissolved in September,
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 325
1859, and Dr. Howard Crosby, Professor of Greek in Rutgers College,
was elected pastor on February 18, 1861. His occupancy of the office
was brief, as Rev. William Beatty was installed as pastor June 2, 1863.
He was in charge of the congregation about four years, when he resigned
to accept a call to the Shadyside Church of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The installation of Rev. A. D. L. Jewett took place March 2, 1868. The
organization of the church was completed in 1871 by the election of
deacons ; the eldership was increased in 1873. Dr. Jewett's labors during
the latter portion of his term were interrupted by continued ill health.
He resigned October 16, 1874, and on May 17, 1875, Rev. Thomas
Nichols was installed. His successor in 1879 was the Rev. W. J. Mc-
Knight, who continued in the pastorate until 1892, and the following
year was succeeded by Rev. William W. Knox. Dr. Knox was to serve
the congregation for nearly a quarter of a century. He was made pastor
emeritus in 191 7, and the next year the Rev. Cordie J. Culp, the present
incumbent, was chosen his successor.
Hungarian Evangelist Reformed Presbyterian Church — ^This was
organized July 21, 1904. The organization ceremonies were held in
the chapel of the First Presbyterian Church, where the congregation
commenced holding meetings. It was largely through the assistance
of Rev. J. Kozma, of Perth Amboy, that the organization was effected.
The rapid growth of the congregation soon required larger accommo-
dations, and a church was procured on the corner of Easton avenue
and Hamilton street. The first regularly installed minister was Rev.
Paul Hamborsky, who served until he decided to join the ranks of
those ministers who were working under the Conventus of the Reformed
Church of Hungary. Through his influence the congregation for a
time joined this church organization; the original members not being
satisfied with this transaction, took the matter before the courts and
eventually won the control of the church property. This litigation
was the cause of a great unrest and difficulties amongst the congrega-
tion, and religious services were suspended. The Easton Avenue
Church was exchanged for the present edifice on the comer of Bayard
and Schuyler streets, formerly occupied by St. James Methodist Epis-
copal Church. After the retirement of the Rev. Hamborsky from the
ministry, the Rev. Ladislaus Gerenday was called as pastor ; he remained
in charge until 1916, when he was succeeded by the present pastor.
Rev. Sigismund Laky, who resigned the charge of a large congregation
at Bridgeport, Connecticut, to accept the position. The church is a
member of the New Brunswick Presbjrtery of the Presbjrterian Church
of the United States. There is a membership of two hundred, besides
a large number of co-believers who attend the regular services. The
auxiliary societies of the church are : The Lorantffy Sussannah Ladies'
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326 MIDDLESEX
Aid Society, the Daily Vocation Bible Class, and the People's Christian
Association.
Christ Church* — ^The Church of England eariy sent its missionaries
into the colony of New Jersey. Along the Raritan there were established
churches at Amboy, Spots wood and Piscataway. In 1701, *'The Vener-
able Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts" was
formed, and its missionaries were sent out to the churches and formed
new parishes. Keith and Talbot, the first missionaries from this society,
covered New Jersey, holding services among the English residents of
New Brunswick. One of the early historians of Christ Church laments
the loss of its early records. The fragments which remain are largely
the reports of these missionaries.
In 1745, Skinner, the first missionary to Perth Amboy, reports, "Zeal
for God's work among the inhabitants of New Brunswick has stirred
them up to the building of a Church." The next year he reports, "the
inhabitants of New Brunswick have petitioned to send them a mission-
ary ; they have erected a church of stone which may be of great service
not only to themselves, but to the well settled country extending many
miles, in which many of the inhabitants profess the faith of the Church
of England, and others who were formerly dissenters seem well affected
towards it."
New Brunswick's Carnegie, Philip French (1745), presented the
tract of land on which the church was built. Mr. Skinner's statement,
"they have erected a church," was somewhat premature, as the records
show that more than ten years later the church was still in the course
of construction, and in 1773 the steeple was nearing completion. The
land given by Mr. French is that on which the church now stands on
the corner of Church and Ncilson streets. The size of the original
structure, as reported by the Society, was fifty-five feet long, forty-five
feet wide and twenty feet high. The first edifice followed closely the
lines of the English parish churches which the builders had left behind ;
a "noble window of small panes of glass covered almost the entire east
end." The building was of stone, and tradition has it that it was put
together mainly by the hands of the faithful parishioners. The tower
as originally constructed remains as a part of the present edifice, a
monument of striking beauty, linking the present with the past.
The Society sent as its first stated missionary the Rev. Mr. Wood,
characterized as "a gentleman, bred to physic and surgery," as well as
theology. Mr. Wood's parish reached from Elizabethtown to Trenton,
and his medical practice extended from New York to Philadelphia. He
remained two years, and removed to Nova Scotia.
The Society "then thought proper to fix on the Rev. Samuel Seabury
•This narratlTe to by Dr. Fred B. KUmer, of New Brunswick.
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 327
who arrived happily on the 25th of May, 1754, and was received
with a most hearty welcome from the inhabitants, who appeared very
susceptible to the Society's goodness in sending a missionary to them,
and disposed to do everything in their power to show their encourage-
ment. * * The church is a very handsome stone building which, when
finished, will hold a large congregation, and this it is proposed to do
the ensuing summer. It is generally well filled. * * As there was no
visiting teacher, at the present time, of any sort, he had the satisfaction
of having persons of various denominations come to it, and he hoped
they would in the course of time, through the grace of God, conform."
Rev. Samuel Seabury was the son of Samuel Seabury, an Episco-
palian clergyman, who had formerly been a Congregational minister.
After graduation at Yale (1748), he went to Scotland and studied medi-
cine, but turning his attention to theology, took orders in England, and
became the Society's missionary at New Brunswick. His is an illus-
trious figure in the church annals. From New Brunswick, he removed
to Grace Church, Hempstead, Long Island (1752), thence to St. Peter's,
West Chester, New York, (1766). At the latter place he established
a church school. At the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, he
adhered to the Crown and became chaplain of the Royal forces. During
the strife he was, on one hand, subject to severe handling by the patriots,
and on the other hand given the degree of Doctor of Divinity by Oxford
University. At the close of the conflict he went to England, bearing
the recommendation of some of the clergy of New York and Connec-
ticut, and was consecrated the first American Bishop of the Episcopal
Church.
In 1757, the Parish of Christ Church "returned their thanks for the
Society's goodness in appointing the Rev. Dr. McKean to succeed their
late missionary, Rev. Samuel Seabury. It was with great pleasure they
saw the Church of England, by the benevolence of the Society, raising
its head in an infant country." Dr. McKean arrived in New Brunswick
in 1757, and was kindly received by his congregation. He had friends
at court, and the second year of the reign of George II., Christ Church
became a body corporate under the name of "The Rector, Wardens
and Vestrymen of Christ Church of the City of New Brunswick." It
is under this charter, bearing the great seal of his Majesty, that it still
elects its vestrymen and wardens and holds its corporate power.
Dr. McKean was a prominent figure in medical circles. He was
active in organizing the New Jersey Medical Society, and was its first
president. Upon the removal of Dr. McKean to Pennsylvania (1763),
the mantle fell upon Hon. Edward Antill, "a man of most exemplary
life and singular piety, who undertook to read prayers and singing
every two Sundays in New Brunswick, and every other two Sundays in
Piscataway, until the arrival of a missionary."
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In 1762, it was agreed to unite Piscataway to the mission at New
Brunswick, and the Rev. Leonard Cutting was appointed to the mission.
In a report to the Society it is stated *'in New Brunswick there are about
150 families, most of them in moderate circumstances. * * In this
town there are three churches — the Church of England, the Baptist
church, and a Presbyterian meeting house, the members of which live
together in a friendly manner without disputes or animosities on ac-
count of religion/' He reports that "his communicants at present are
about twenty-five. He catechises the children of New Brunswick and
Piscataway every Sunday. The congregation at New Brunswick has
agreed upon £40 per year, and will allow £20 currency for house rental
until they can afford to purchase a glebe." In 1769, he reports ''with
pleasure that in New Brunswick the same catholic spirit prevails, all
denominations living together without dispute or animosity .'' In Pis-
cataway, he states "the church is well filled, and the people appear
serious and affected.'' In removing to Hempstead, a year later, he
reports that "the church had increased in numbers, and the communi-
cants had increased to thirty-four."
The next incumbent was the Rev. Abraham Beach, who showed
himself to be not only a missionary but a diplomat and leader of no
mean order. His report to the Parent Society shows "that his con-
gregation are frequented by serious people of all denominations." He
organized the parish, taught catechism to the children and the negroes ;
the church was repaired and the steeple completed. The Society Pro-
ceedings for 1773 state that "The Rev. Dr. Beach's mission is in good
state. He endeavoreth by kind and candid treatment to overcome the
prejudice of dissenters; and hath experienced the good effects of it in
several instances."
In 1774 Dr. Beach wrote the Society "how heartful are the American
disputes to the clergy ;" he assures the Society "that he has endeavored
to promote moderation, peace and good order." Then came the storm
cloud of the Revolution. The parish was rent asunder, and received
a baptism of blood and fire. Mr. Beach has been characterized as
"mildly loyal," and as "neutral" he deplored the political agitation which
preceded the struggle as "hurtful to the church and to the clergy." He
strove "to promote moderation, peace and good order." He "hoped at
all times to preserve a conscience void of offense toward God and man."
At the inception of the struggle, the congregation at once divided;
the Loyalists fled to the British lines; the Patriots, in fair numbers
and of sturdy mien, remained until the British army took possession of
New Brunswick. The Church of England and its adherents in this
crisis were under the ban. Christ Church has the unique record of
being open during the whole of the struggle. Mr. Beach's records show
a fairly continuous regularity in church services even in times when
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 329
shot and shell broke over the steeple. He went about attending to the
sick, baptizing, uniting in marriage, burying the dead. He ministered
in neighboring parishes from which the clergy fled. He was ever at
his post. His home just without the city was supposed to be neutral
ground, but this did not prevent its being pierced with bullets. During
the whole time he received no remittance from the Society and no pay
from the church. At the close of the Revolution, Mr. Beach accepted
the position of assistant minister of Trinity Church, New York, but
he still retained a fostering care over Christ Church. He became an
important factor in the formation of the Episcopal Church in the United
States.
Long prior to the war, eflForts had been made to secure the appoint-
ment of a Bishop for the Colonies, but strong forces opposed the setting
up of a Bishop in America. The controversy waxed strong and became
a part of the inciting cause of the Revolution. With the dawn of peace
all changed ; the Church in the United States had become separated from
the Church of England through the acts of war. At the invitation of
Dr. Beach, a few of the scattered clergy from New York, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania gathered in Christ Church to "consider the state of
the Church." Among them was the Rev. William White, of Phila-
delphia (afterwards Bishop). The session continued for two days,
and plans were laid to promote a union of the churches in the several
States. During the session a document was made out in which the
name "The Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States" was
used for the first time. At this meeting the right of lay delegates in
the councils of the churches was established. The sessions were the
beginning of the line of general conventions — ^the great governing body
of the Episcopal Church. Thus within the walls of Christ Church the
American Church had its origin and received its name.
Rev. Mr. Beach was active in the formation of the diocese of New
Jersey, in 1785; the first convention looking to that end was held in
Christ Church. Mr. Beach preached the sermon, and was chosen
president and delegate to the General Convention. All during the for-
mation period of the diocese, Mr. Beach attended the conventions, giving
wise counsel in the formation of the canons and regulations for the
government of the church, and the revision of the Book of Common
Prayer. With a record of seventeen years as minister of Christ Church,
and twenty-five years in Trinity Parish in New York, he retired to his
household at New Brunswick, where he died in 1828. He was buried
in Christ Church yard, and a marble tablet to his memory adorns the
walls of the edifice.
Hamilton Rowland was elected rector of the parish in 1786; he
removed to Nova Scotia at the end of one year; from the time of Mr.
Rowland's removal (1787), the church was without a rector until 1791,
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330 MIDDLESEX
when the Rev. Henry Van Dyke was chosen minister of the parish;
he served until 1793 or 1794*
The parish was again vacant until 1799, when the Rev. John Henry
Hobart, then a student at Princeton, was "invited to perform divine
service for the congregation for one year," and "the sum of $266.67
was allowed for such services." Rev. Mr. Hobart, apparently much to
his disadvantage, fulfilled his contract for the year, and afterwards
attained a high place in the church. He became assistant minister of
Trinity Parish, New York, succeeding Dr. Moore as Bishop of New
York. He was also Bishop of Connecticut for three years. He was
instrumental in opening the Theological Seminary in New York, and a
member of the faculty. He was a prolific writer and a most energetic
Christian gentleman. With Mr. Hobart's departure from Christ Church,
"Mr. Beasley was invited to read prayers until a rector could be pro-
vided."
The minutes of the wardens and vestrymen beginning with 1790
have been preserved. The first pages of these records are filled with
quaint references to the "Church Lottery." This calls to mfnd the
fact that in the colonial days lotteries were the financial fashion, and
were considered as legitimate as is today the placing upon the market of
authorized financial securities. Colleges, churches, societies and indi-
viduals floated lotteries under government license. At least three lot-
teries were drawn for the benefit of Christ Church, and there is no
record that any of them were markedly successful from a monetary
point of view. The records of the "settlements" of the last one (issued
about 1790) was disastrous. The church was defrauded of money col-
lected by some of its agents, quarrels and lawsuits ensued. Much harm
was done with little or no good. In 1800, Mr. Charles Cotton was
engaged to take charge of the parish, and remained for one year.
A most auspicious era of the parish history begins with the record
of the warden and vestrymen of March, 1801: "Resolved and agreed
unanimously that the Rev. John Croes be invited to accept the perma-
nent rectorship of this Church at a salary of $375 per annum." This
call was made in conjunction with the trustees of Queens (Rutgers)
College, who desired his services as headmaster of the Grammar School.
Mr. Croes' rectorship was long and eventful. His was the task of
reconstruction of a parish which had been scattered and rent by war
and by frequent change of ministers since the departure of Mr. Beach.
He organized the congregation and established sound systems of
finance ; the latter included the sale of pews at auction. He inaugurated
a Missionary Society and opened a Sunday School. He overcame the
long existing prejudice against the "English" Church, and made it a
center of religious life in the community.
An interesting incident of his time occurred in February, 1803, when
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 331
the spire of the church was struck by lightning and wholly consumed ;
the buiding itself was in imminent danger of being destroyed. This
was a severe blow to the struggling parish. The spire had only recently
been repaired and its restoration was a matter of over $3,000, a most
formidable burden under the conditions. By heroic eflForts of the con-:
gregation, the citizens of New Brunswick, and friends outside of the
parish, the spire was rebuilt within a few months. In 1808, Mr. Croes
gave up his position in the College, but for a time he taught in the Young
Ladies' Seminary conducted by Miss Hay.
Rev. Mr. Croes took an active part in the work of the diocese, and in
181 5 he was chosen as its first Bishop. He did not resign his rectorship,
but cared for the parish and diocese conjointly. He was almost simul-
taneously chosen Bishop of the Diocese of Connecticut, but chose to
accept that of New Jersey. A notable event of his rectorship was the
remodeling of the interior of the church edifice. In the first construction
the chancel was placed at the east end (Neilson street) of the church,
but the pulpit and reading desk were on the north or Church street
side. In' 1814 the whole was changed by placing the pulpit and reading
desk and chancel at the east end and turning the pews so as to face
that end. A gallery was also installed. In the early days a bass viol
and a violin were introduced to furnish music; in 1788 an organ was
installed which cost $100, but in Mr. Croes' time it is recorded that Mr.
William Leupp presented the church with a new instrument and became
organist. The services of the church under the Bishop would be con-
sidered simple in these days of elaborateness. At the time, those not
in sympathy with the church made strong objections to their ritualistic
formality. The fast and festival days were observed in great regularity,
Easter Day and Christmas Day being as now "high" days. Baptisms
were mainly held in the church, the first font being a stone bowl carved
by hand and set in a log. The present handsome marble font was the
gift of Edward Antill, and has been in use since some time before the
Revolution. Funerals were held at the homes of the deceased; the
bodies were either buried on the land of the departed or in the church
yards. Weddings were seldom held in the church. For many years
the church was not heated in any manner. In 1800 wood fires were
introduced ; coal fires came in 1829. The church was lighted with can-
dles and oil, a feature being an elaborate glass chandelier hanging in
the center of the nave.
During Bishop Croes' rectorship a Sunday school building was
erected on the west side of the church lot. Following the lead of such
parishes as Trinity, the church erected buildings on the Church street
side of its property and rented them for business purposes. The venture
was only moderately successful and later they were torn down.
The Rev. Mr. Croes was of Polish parentage (bom 1762). While
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332 MIDDLESEX
yet a lad he entered the Revolutionary army. His education was mainly
under private tutors in Newark, New Jersey. He became a tutor in
the Newark Academy, meanwhile preparing himself for the University.
His first charge was at Swedesboro, New Jersey, and his second at New
Brunswick. He was of commanding presence, being over six feet in
height. His biographers pay great tribute to his urbanity, strong in-
tellectuality, sound common sense, clear judgment, and general business
qualifications.
In 1830, he asked that his son John Croes, Jr., be appointed assistant
in the parish, and to this the vestry acceded. Bishop Croes entered into
rest, July 30, 1832. He was buried under the chancel of the church
wall. His son. Rev. John Croes, Jr., succeeded him as rector. This
position he held until 1839, when owing to ill health he resigned, and
took up missionary labors at Keyport, New Jersey. He died in 1849.
The year 1839 marks the beginning of a long and successful rector-
ship of the Rev. Alfred Stubbs, who while still a deacon came into the
parish almost directly from the General Theological Seminary. The
following year he was elevated to the priesthood by Bishop Doane, and
instituted to the rectorship of the parish. Though but twenty-four years
of age, he grasped the responsibilities of his office and began a remark-
able career. Time after time in reports to the convention appear state-
ments showing an increase in the numbers ; "the parish is in a prosperous
condition. ♦ ♦ the harmony and peace which prevail encourages the
hope that our people are also increasing in spirituality .*'
Each year marked material progress, there were additions to the
church property, new furnishings and adornments for the church. In
1842, Mr. Charles M. Leupp presented a new organ, and in 1846 a rec-
tory was purchased at 100 Bayard street, and the same year a plot of
ground next to that of the original tract, known as the "Vickers prop-
erty," was bequeathed to the parish by Mrs. Mary Leupp. In 1852, the
entire church edifice, with the exception of the tower, was taken down
and rebuilt. During the rebuilding, services were held in the Presby-
terian Session House on George street, which was kindly loaned for the
purpose. In rebuilding the edifice, all of the stone of the first structure
was utilized, together with a fresh supply taken from the original quarry.
The new building consisted of a nave 50x75 feet, with a semicircular
chancel 20 feet in depth. The architecture was Norman style, and with
only a slight change constitutes the present edifice. It was at this time
that the stained glass windows were installed. Out of the original par-
ish. Dr. Stubbs created three new parishes — St. John's, SomerviUe
(1852), St. Luke's, Bound Brook (1862), St. John the Evangelist at New
Brunswick (1861). In 1874, a commodious brick Sunday school building
was erected on the church grounds.
Some twenty young men who were members of the parish during
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 333
Dr. Stubbs' ministry, were admitted to Holy Orders ; these included two
of the rector's sons, the Rev. Alfred H. Stubbs, the Rev. Francis H.
Stubbs, and the Rev. A. B. Baker, Dr. A. B. Carter, Rev. Eugene and
Charles Hoffman, Edward and Samuel Appleton, Rev. Guy Leacock,
Henry H. Long, Edward B. Boggs and John Cornell.
One incident in Dr. Stubbs' life focused upon him, and incidentally
upon the parish, a nation-wide and, at the time, unpleasant notoriety.
This was the celebrated controversy with the Rev. Stephen H. Tyng,
rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity, New York — ^the trial question
as to whether the clergy are bound to obey the laws of the church. In
later times he counted among his friends those who had opposed him
at the trial, including Dr. Tyng himself. In 1882, failing in health. Dr.
E. B. Joyce was called as assistant to Dr. Stubbs.
Dr. Stubbs entered into rest, December 12, 1882. He was buried in
a spot selected by himself at the foot of the tower, and a tablet upon
the wall of the tower and in the chancel of the church is erected to
his memory. Dr. Stubbs had been entrusted with a prominent place in
the councils of the church, and was beloved by his fellow-citizens ; "the
fine ability and excellent scholarship which distinguished him were
intensely devoted to Christ and His Church."
The Rev. E. B. Joyce came to Christ Church Parish while yet in
deacon's orders, as assistant in 1882 ; at the death of Dr. Stubbs he was
called to the rectorship (1883). Under his guidance the congregation
moved forward spiritually and materially, and was marked by an in-
crease in church attendance and interest in the service and work of the
parish. He formed many parish organizations and guided their work.
The church was renovated throughout, hardwood floors put in, a new
pulpit and chancel furniture installed. In 1892 he formed a surpliced
choir of male voices under charge of Prof. George W. Wilmot. In the
same year a new rectory was purchased at 56 Bayard street ; a new and
commodious parish house was erected at the comer of Neilson and
Paterson streets. An innovation at the time was the organization of
young men called Christ Church Club, who gave attention not only
to the parish and church affairs, literature and the like, but who installed
a bowling alley, gymnasium and poolroom. A week of service commem-
orating the 150th anniversary of the church was held in 1892.
While all of Mr. Joyce's efforts were far from sensational, one ser-
mon delivered in 1890 attracted widespread attention and was published
in pamphlet form by the Central Nationalist Club. This was a sermon
on the text, "Am I My Brother's Keeper?" In this sermon the relations
between capital and labor and the church's duty therein were discussed
in a way that was markedly prophetic of the discussions so abundant
in later years. During his rectorship, early celebrations of Holy Com-
munion each Sunday were instituted, and for a time daily services were
held in the church.
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334 MIDDLESEX
Mr. Joyce graduated from Yale College and the General Theological
Seminary, and in 1916 the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred
upon him by Rutgers College. Failing health compelled Mr. Joyce to
resign his rectorship, and he was made rector emeritus, which position
he still holds, beloved and honored by his parish and throughout the
diocese.
The Rev. Herbert Parrish, who had supplied the pulpit during Mr.
Joyce's illness, was called to the rectorship May i, 191 5, and under his
guidance the parish has retained its traditions of progress and vigor
which has marked its entire history. In 1917 an important movement
toward church unity was started in which Christ Church under Mr.
Parrish took an active part. Services were held on Sunday evenings
in rotation in Christ Church, the First and Second Reformed Churches,
and the First Presbyterian, in which services the choirs and clergy of the
respective organizations united. The parish took an active part in the
nation-wide campaign of the Episcopal Church in 1919, the rector
being campaign chairman for the diocese. Under Mr. Parrish the con-
gregation has made great advancement. It has discharged all indebted-
ness, some of long standing. It has established an endowment fund.
The pews have been made free. It has more than quadrupled contribu-
tions for missionary purposes. Mr. Parrish possesses exceptional powers
as a preacher and teacher, and is able to gather a goodly congregation
even in these times when church attendance is not popular.
Christ Church holds a remarkable record for growth and strength.
Of exceptional character have been its rectors and distinguished laymen.
After one hundred and eighty-years it can look to the future with trust
and confidence.
St. John the Evangelist — ^A movement was started in 1852 among the
congregation of Christ Church to establish another parish in New
Brunswick. The mother church was too small to accommodate its
congregation, and was not strong enough in finances or numbers to
bear the expense of erecting a church edifice in another section of the
city. It was at this time decided to build an addition to the church
and establish another parish later. Other obstacles interposed; it was
not, however, until i860, under the rectorship of the Rev. Alfred Stubbs,
that money was raised for the building of a mission chapel on the present
site of St. John the Evangelist. The cornerstone was laid November
28, i860, and the new chapel was consecrated December 27, 1861, when
Rev. Louis Bevieu Van Dyke was chosen by the vestry to officiate as
deacon in charge. He was succeeded in 1864 by Rev. Alfred B. Baker
as assistant in charge.
St. John's drew away from Christ Church and was organized as an
independent parish, April 25, 1866. The Rev. Edward B. Boggs became
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 335
:p the first pastor of the new parish. He was succeeded in 1869 by Rev.
:crs Charles Edward Phelphs. The church building comprised only one
Xi: room; in 1885 the edifice was considerably enlarged and beautified by
the addition of a tower, transept and parish room, these alterations
costing over $10,000.
Rev. Charles E. Phelphs resigned in 1898 and was appointed rector-
emeritus. The Rev. W. Dutton Dale, after acting as assistant minister
for one year, was elected rector, assuming the duties of the incumbency
on Easter Day, 1898. He resigned March 31, 1909, to accept a call to
Rumsen, New Jersey, and the present rector, Rev. Edward Wheeler
Hall, was called by the congregation and was installed as rector in
July, 1909. An addition to the rear of the church building was built in
1909 at an expenditure of $3,000.
The First Reformed Church — ^This is the oldest church organization
in the city of New Brunswick. Its corporate title is, "The Ministers,
Elders and Deacons of the Congregation of New Brunswick."
Guillaem Bertholf, a resident of Hackensack, as a lay worker fre-
quently visited this section. As voorleser in the Holland church, he
rendered invaluable services in a large portion of Northern New Jersey.
So acceptable were his services as reader and comforter of the sick that
he was sent to Holland in 1693 for ordination. Upon his return he had
the spiritual oversight of all the Holland communities in New Jersey.
His work resulted in the organization of many Reformed churches,
including those in the vicinity of New Brunswick.
A church was erected as early as 1703, about three miles west of
the present city limits. The congregation which worshipped there soon
divided to form two churches, now known as the Reformed Church of
Franklin Park, and the First Reformed Church of New Brunswick.
From the early maps and records of the city it appears that the first
church was built about 1714, at the comer of Schureman and Burnet
streets. The earliest church record is dated April 12, 1717. The archives
of the church contain a complete register of baptism and the list of
church members and officers from 171 7. The second church edifice
was erected on the present site in 1767. This was built of stones which
were brought up the Raritan on sloops from Hell Gate. When this
building was demolished to make way for a new one, these stones were
used in the walls of the present structure which was dedicated in 1812.
The first pastor of the church was Rev. Theodorus Jacobus Freling-
huysen. He also served the churches at Raritan (Somerville), Six
Mile Run (Franklin Park), and North Branch (Readington). Mr.
Frelinghuysen came directly from Holland, bringing with him a school-
master. Jacobus Schureman, who was also chorister and voorleser.
These men were the progenitors of many distinguished citizens who
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336 MIDDLESEX
have rendered signal service to the State. The next three pastors were
closely connected with the college also. Rev. Johannes Leydt was a leader
in the movement resulting in the founding of Queen's G>llege, later
known as Rutgers College. Rev. Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh, D. D., in
1786 became the pastor of the church and also president of the college.
He was a staunch personal friend of General Washington. His suc-
cessor in the pastorate, Rev. Ira Condict, D. D., was also vice-president
of the college and professor of moral philosophy.
During the two hundred years of its history, the church has been
served by fifteen pastors. Besides those mentioned, the list includes
John Schureman, D. D., Jesse Fonda, John Ludlow, D. D., Isaac Ferris,
D. D., James B. Hardenbergh, D. D., Jacob J. Janeway, D. D., Samuel
B. How, D. D., Richard H. Steele, D. D., Thomas C. Easton, D. D., P.
Theodore Pockman, D. D., and Jasper S. Hogan, D. D.
For many years the "Old First" has been popularly known as the
"Town Clock Church," on account of the clock in the steeple, placed
there and maintained by the city. Many of the stones in the cemetery
around the church mark the resting places of some of the most honored
leaders in the Reformed Church in America. Prominent among these
is the Scudder monument testifying to the pioneer missionary zeal of
the family which has given a total of more than one thousand years
to foreign missionary service. The church itself has been greatly ad-
mired, and its picture is included with a score of other historic churches
which are regarded as the best specimens of ecclesiastical architecture
in the country in the colonial days.
Second Reformed Church — ^This was organized by members of the
First Reformed Church in 1843. The first pastor was Rev. David D.
Demarest, who was called in 1843 and continued in charge for nearly
ten years, when he was succeeded by the Rev. Samuel M. Woodbridge,
who continued until 1857, when he resigned to take the chair of ecclesi-
astical history in the Theological Seminary. The Rev. Hugh N. Wilson
became pastor in 1858, and the cornerstone of the present church on
the comer of George and Albany streets, was laid October 26, 1857,
the building being completed and dedicated April 10, 1861. The next
pastor was the Rev. John W. Schenck, who supplied the pulpit from
February, 1863, to June i, 1866. The same year the Rev. Chester D.
Hartranft was chosen pastor, continuing until 1878. The long pastorate
of the Rev. Mancius H. Hutton commenced October 17, 1879, continuing
over thirty years until his death, December 19, 1909. The next pastCM'
was Rev. John A. Ingham, who was installed March 2, 1910, serving
till December i, 1920. The chapel adjoining the church was erected in
1895, as a semi-centennial memorial. The present membership is 312,
the church properties being valued at $200,000.
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CITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK 337
The Suydam Street Reformed Church — ^The Suydam Street Reformed
Church was organized October 30, 1884, with fourteen members. The
Rev. William H. Campbell, D. D., who had just resigned the presidency
of Rutgers College, was its first pastor. He was installed January 11,
1885. The cornerstone of the church was laid July 6th the same year.
In October, 1889, Dr. Campbell resigned, and his son, the Rev. Alan D.
Campbell, was invited to supply the pulpit for three months and then
was called to the pastorate of the church. He served it faithfully until
his death, April i, 1913. In 1892 the parsonage was built on Livingston
avenue. The present pastor. Rev. George H. Payson, supplied the pulpit
for two years, at the same time occupying the Chair of Ethics and Evi-
dences of Christianity in Rutgers College. In 191 5 he resigned his
professorship and accepted a call to the church and was installed in
October.
Other Churches — For the benefit of the German population of the
city, the Third Reformed Church was established in 1851. The Rev.
Francis M. Serenbets was chosen pastor, continuing until 1854. The
following year the Rev. Franz Schneevius was called, remaining until
1858, when he was succeeded by Rev. J. Hones. The Rev. Prof. Carl
Meyer took charge in the early sixties of the last century, the congre-
gation worshipping in a small frame building erected in 1857 on Guilden
street. On the organization of the St. John's German Reformed Church
in 1861, the members of the Third Reformed Church united with that
churchy making the total membership sixty. The congregation wor-
shipped in a frame building on the corner of Albany and George streets.
The first pastor was Rev. A. Hocking, who resigned in 1864, when Rev.
I. N. Steiner had charge of the congregation for a year. The third
pastor, Rev. Oscar Lohr stayed only a few months; his successor, the
Rev. Charles Banks, was installed in 1868, remaining until 1904, when
he was succeeded by the Rev. M. H. Qual.
The church property was sold on the corner of Albany and George
streets and the congregation built a cement block structure capable of
seating five hundred persons, on the corner of Livingston avenue and
Suydam street. The name of the congregation was changed to the
Livingston Avenue Reformed Church; services are given in both the
German